


The Pain of Loving Another

by ddpeanut, marikia



Series: Chocobro shipping [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ardyn is an asshole, Canonical Character Death, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Poor Noct, Poor Prompto, and Luna, but like, cause Gladio can be an ass, chocobros happy ending, except Regis, get ready to /cry/, only a bit, other characters appear, protective prompto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2018-12-14 23:32:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 47,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11793735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ddpeanut/pseuds/ddpeanut, https://archiveofourown.org/users/marikia/pseuds/marikia
Summary: If someone had told Prompto that the bachelor party of a road trip for his best friend was going to turn into some sort of vigilante, prophecy driven adventure, he would've laughed and walked off. If someone had told him he'd end up dating his best friend, he would have called them crazy.Now, he's not so sure it's crazy.This is a RP turned fanfiction that ddpeanut and I did, and it's beautiful~The first of three main stories that share a world





	1. In which Prompto learns to fly

If someone had told Prompto that the bachelor party of a road trip for his best friend was going to turn into some sort of vigilante, prophecy driven adventure, he would've laughed and walked off.

Yet here he was sneaking down a dirt path towards a herd of Garulas that were apparently making it hard for anyone to travel to the slough. And it was raining. Yay. Hell, it had been raining every day since they'd fought the Titan. At least Noct's headaches weren't as bad, though now they appeared anytime Gentiana spoke to them. After this hunt, Noct wanted to go find the first seal for the storm god, that'd oughta be...

"Prompto!" He yelped as he was yanked back behind a rock falling on his ass.

"Ow... what the hell big guy?" Gladio just grunted and pointed.

Oh, they'd reached the herd. Prom glanced over at Iggy and Noctis, getting in position and waiting for one of them to signal the fight. Once it started, he'd act as long range support.

Noctis honestly couldn't decide at this point if the future was looking bright or dreary. Right now though, he knew that the day was wet and depressing, and that he just wanted to find this damn god and make the weather bright again for a change.

Luckily, for the sake of the rest of the group, his mood had taken a turn for the somewhat better now that the Titan was gone along with his headaches, and though he liked Gentiana well enough for the help she offered, he couldn't help but wish she would be a little less helpful when the headaches kicked in again.

All thoughts of headaches and destiny left his mind though when he watched Prompto get yanked behind a rock. He himself was prowling around the herd like a hunting cat, searching for the right moment to strike. Ignis was doing the same on the other side, though his adviser would wait for him to make the first move.

He stood straight and, summoning his powers, he flung his Engine Blade forward and struck the side of one of the larger Garulas, a yell escaping him from the exertion it took to not get thrown off the beast while he hacked and slashed with quick, precise movements.

It was show time.

The moment Prompto saw the tell-tale sparkle of Noct’s magic, he sprang up onto the rock and took aim. He vaguely noted all of his friends’ positions, taking care to avoid shooting any of them. It sucked they couldn't just sneak through the herd, but the bull of the group was an aggressive asshole who saw anything moving as a threat.

This was his element, picking off smaller ones before they ran Ignis through, bringing a larger one to its knees to Gladio could get at it. At one point he shot one clear through the eye so Noct had a chance to warp out to regain some magic.

Everything seemed to be fine, most of the Garula were dead, when a loud trumpeting sound echoed. Prom whipped around and paled.

A second herd.

Now instead of being on the edge of the fight, Prom was stuck in the middle, back to back with Ignis. The two were doing their best, but a gun is hard to use at close range. One Garula got a lucky shot and Promptos world exploded into pain as he was launched into the air and off to the side, landing with a sickening CRACK!

He laid there, disoriented for a moment, then tried to move, only to scream in pain as a Garula stepped on his leg, causing him to nearly pass out. He vaguely heard someone shouting his name, but his brain was too focused on the pain.

Noctis' entire world was just moving from one strike to the next, taking down enemy after enemy while his friends did the same. He knew that these beasts were, considering the many creatures they had fought, small fry in terms of a challenge, but there were still a lot of them and they were angry.

That's when he saw it- the second herd, and his mind went into overdrive. He had switched to his daggers, flying from one position to the next and doing a lot of aerial strikes to avoid getting in the way of those heavy horns and heavier legs, while occasionally calling to Gladio so they could team up on a stronger one.

He wasn't paying much attention to his companions- they were strong and smart enough to mostly handle themselves in battle, from what he had seen and heard. But that's when he saw Prompto go flying and get absolutely stomped on.

And that _scream_ rattled through Noctis' brain until his mind went blank. He shouted Prompto's name and warped over, but even he knew that that injury was a bit much for just his magic. No time to waste on helping now though.

He went into a frenzy of _rage_ calling to hand one of his many royal arms and slashing through enemies that dared to come close, and all he could think of as he and his companions tore through the last of them was that _Prompto was hurt and he hadn't been able to stop it_.

He was stopped in his frenzy when Ignis put a hand on his shoulder, and a shuddering breath escaped him as he looked at the carnage around them. Immediately, his gaze dropped to their photography loving friend, and he crouched down, giving the other's shoulder a small shake.

"Prompto? Prompto can you hear me?"

Prompto could barely think through all the pain. Being stepped on by a huge ass animal was no joke. While the others fought he just laid there, barely aware of the carnage that Noctis had just wrought.

That is, until Noct called out to him. He tried to answer, but someone shook his shoulder a bit. While normally such an action wouldn't have harmed a fly, the jostle sent shock waves of pain through his body and he yelled out again, tears pooling in his eyes.

Once the pain had passed a bit, he coughed and tried to focus on the black and tan blur in front of him.

"H.hey Noct. How bad... bad is it?" He could barely see through his tears and aching head, and all he wanted to do was sleep. That would take the pain away. Still, he knew somewhere in his mind that wasn't a great idea.

Ignis quickly assessed Prompto and barely held in a wince. The gunners leg was bent at an odd angle, bone poking out of his shin. There was quite a lot of blood around Promptos head and a nasty gash where the Garula had gored him that was slowly leaking blood. Not to mention, the slur and glazed look meant Prompto probably had a concussion.

Prom reached out, wincing slightly and grasped at Noct's hand. "N.noct...?"

Noctis winced when he glanced down at Prompto's leg, gently running a hand through the others hair. That was bad- that was really bad looking. When the other reached out to grab his hand, he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to figure out how to break it to him, before eventually deciding he'd need to rip it off like a bandage.

"It's… pretty bad Prompto. Your leg is broken pretty badly, and I'm pretty sure potions aren't gonna work for you. We'll probably need to wait for it to heal on its own Prompto." He did use a potion quickly to take care of the blood loss, but he couldn't do much more.

"Hey Gladio, we've gotta get somewhere dry, you mind carrying Prompto?" He was loathe to let the other go, but he couldn't carry the other. Gladio simply gave a solemn nod and walked over to the injured blonde, telling him to take a deep breath before lifting him bridal style. Noctis remained holding Prompto's hand, knowing the other would probably need something to squeeze.

"You'll be okay Prompto. But no chocobo rides for the time being. Come on guys!" He gestured for them to move, and murmured to Ignis to find them a place to go. In the meantime, he slipped off his jacket, resting it over Prompto while Gladio carried him.

Prompto gripped Nocts hand weakly, and felt a little sick at the mention of a badly broken bone, which didn't help his feeling of uselessness. He couldn't help but feel like he had fucked up in some way, just like every time his useless ass got hurt.

Still, it did help that Noct and the others weren't scolding him. Part of him knew that it wasn't really his fault, but hey, the self-doubt is strong in this one.

Gladio's warning didn't feel like much of a warning and Prom let out another pained yelp, uninjured arm lightly flailing against Gladio before falling limp. He glanced blearily in Noct's direction and frowned slightly, trying to understand what was being said to him. Something about chocobos? chocobros? heh, chocobros... He giggled a bit and snuggled into Noct's jacket as his head lolled onto Gladios shoulder, adrenaline vanishing along with his strength.

"Noct... sleepy..." Ignis had walked away to call Corneix to make sure they could have the camper and was walking back, when he heard Prom speak. He looked alarmed, a rare look on Iggy.

"Noct, don't let him sleep, he probably has a concussion." He waved at Gladio to hurry, though the hurried steps made Prom cry out in pain every couple steps.

Nocts eyes widened, and he nodded.

"Right." He turned to Prompto and gave the others hand a squeeze.

"Don't go to sleep Prompto." He made sure they picked up the pace on their way to the Corneix station.

A soft whine left Prompto when he was told not to sleep, but he tried so hard not to cause Noct had asked him. It was hard though, because every quick moving step that Gladio made, no matter how much the larger man tried, jarred his wounds. That potion from earlier had stopped the bleeding, but he still had a huge gash where he'd been gored, and his leg was still broken.

It seemed like it took far too long for them to get there, but the camper was empty as promised. Noctis looked at his friend and frowned, eyes softening and growing sad. Prompto looked like he was in serious pain, and Noctis wanted nothing more than to take all that pain away from his friend.

"Alright, let's bring him in." He went inside as Ignis held the door, gesturing to one of the beds so Gladio could set Prompto down. He gave Gladio a long look before nodding to him.

"You go out and help Specs. I'll keep Prompto awake."

Once in the camper and laid on the bed, Prompto thought he could sleep, though that thought fled when he heard Noct say that he had to stay awake. Another whimper left him as he shifted, pain shooting up his back. Damn, they might've missed something...

He watched Gladiolus leave the camper- presumably to set everything up with Ignis like Noctis had told him to, and he settled down beside Prompto. He frowned, thoughts flying through his head as he gave the others hand a firm squeeze.

"...Damnit Prom, you'd better get well again, or I'm gonna be seriously _pissed_  at you!"

Noct's grasp pulled Prompto out of the pain for a moment, and he gave a sleepy whine.

"Noo...sowwy, didn't mean ta Noc... I trie to get h'away, but their too bigh..." Shit, even Prompto knew that slurring that bad wasn't good, but he didn't really care, he had to make sure Noct knew he didn't mean to get hurt!

Noct frowned further, but slowly combed his fingers through Prompto's hair.

"...I'll smack you when you're better but..you'll be okay Prompto. If you're not okay I'll..I'll.." He dropped his gaze and squeezed his eyes shut, threading his fingers through his friends.

"Just… don't die on me.”

Prompto was confused. Who said he would die? Was it actually that bad?

Outside, Ignis paid for the trailer and was using the gil gained from the hunt to buy more medication and the materials needed to bind Promptos leg.

"Gladio, we're going to have to set it and sew shut that gash." He turned towards the camper and started over. "Can you hold Prompto down and keep Noct calm?" Last thing he needed was the Prince going mental because they were hurting his best friend.

He heard Ignis speaking to Gladio outside, and he bit his lower lip, patting Prompto's shoulder.

"Prompto? They're gonna stitch you up and fix your leg up. I'm gonna grab you something to bite down on."

Before Prompto could work himself into a panic about possibly dying, he heard Noct speak again about Ignis stitching him up. That made sense, but it would hurt, he didn't want to hurt anymore.

When the other two came in, Noct knew that they knew that he had heard considering the fact that he was looking through their things to find something Prompto could bite. His searching yielded a thick leather belt from one of their bags, and he made his way over to the bed, tapping Prompto's hand to get his attention.

Prompto saw that Noct was searching for something, and wondered what the Prince was searching for.That question was answered when a leather belt was placed between his teeth, and Noct said,

"Alright, bite down on this Prompto." Noct placed the belt between Prompto's teeth and scooted back on the bed so he was still close enough so Prompto could squeeze his hand if he wanted to.

This wasn't going to be fun...

Noct took a deep breath to steel himself, gently ruffled Prompto's hair, and nodded to Gladio and Ignis.

"Go ahead and do it before he can object."

A gentle ruffle to his hair distracted Prompto for a moment, and that was all the time that Gladio needed to pin him down.

Before Prompto can object, he felt the sting of a needle piercing his flesh. He started trying to pull away, biting down on the leather and whining, but Gladio was to strong. That, and he didn't want to move his leg too much.

Noct winced at each cry that escaped his friend, stroking the back of his hand in a pathetic attempt to soothe the other male.

Ignis was efficient, quickly stitching up the gash while pouring a potion over it, helping heal the wound faster. Now all they had to watch for was an infection there. Next he moved to the leg where a bit of bone was sticking out.

"Noct, hold his head."

When Noct heard the order to hold Prompto's head still, he bit his tongue and did it without complaint.

"Take a deep breath Prompto, it'll be over soon."

Ignis gave Gladio a look, before shoving the bone back in and aligning it.

A heartbreaking shriek ripped from Prom and he began to fight back in earnest, unable to escape Gladios grasp.

Noct held Prompto's head and ducked his head when he heard his best friends screams, though he used one hand to cover the others eyes so he didn't have to /watch/ them fix his leg.

"No, no no no, stop it huuurrrts!!!" He was crying and couldn't see straight, not realizing that Ignis was almost done and was binding it in place.

He shut his own eyes tight and prayed to the six that Prompto's suffering would end soon, and while for a while it seemed that it would never end, he eventually heard Ignis' murmur of "There. It's done."

He let go of Prompto's head and gestured for Gladio to let him go, not wanting to cause his friend to go into shock with more pain.

Prompto was panting and whining softly by the time Ignis had finished, barely registering the advisor leaving.

He did however, notice Gladio getting off of him and promptly tried to curl up, only to stop because of the leg splint and because ow, that hurt.

"It's okay Prompto, it's finished. Go ahead and rest, but… don't sleep yet." Nocts own eyes were filled with pain as he gazed at his friend, gripping the bedsheet in his fingers.

Noct's words were met with a half sigh, half whine, because dammit, Prom wanted to sleep! Straightening back out, he noticed that Noct's fingers were almost white with how tight the other was gripping the fabric. That wouldn't do. Despite the pain, he reached out with one hand and lightly rubbed a white knuckle.

"Noct...gimme" the words came out a soft whimper, and his eyes were still glazed from pain, but there was no slurring, which was good.

"Alright, alright.." Noct let the other take his hand, giving Prompto's own a gentle squeeze

Ignis came up to Proms head and gently used the gunners other hand to break an elixir. The effect became obvious very quickly. His eyes cleared some, though there was still pain, and Prompto relaxed. Iggy gently felt along Promptos chest and hummed.

"Nothing's broken, but a few may be cracked." Deftly Ignis wrapped Proms entire chest before stepping back.

"Noct, Gladio and I are going on a hunt, as we have run most of our low funds dry."

The Prince murmured a quiet 'thanks' to Ignis for using the elixir on their injured friend.

"Hmm… well, if it starts to hurt when he breathes, I'll bind his ribs and let him rest. Be careful hunting though- there's only two of you, and as capable as you guys are." He eventually offered a small, halfhearted smirk.

"I'll be most displeased if I come back having to drag the two of you back to the camper. So stay safe- that's an order." He received a smirk and a hair ruffle from Gladio before the larger man spoke.

"Who do ya think you're talking about here? This scrawny body couldn't drag Prompto around, let alone me and Iggy."

He patted Prom then left, either ignoring or not seeing the wince from Prompto. Dammit, now he felt horrible.

"Sorry for getting hurt... y'all shouldn't have had to spend all the gil..."

When they left, Noctis turned back to Prompto, shaking his head quickly at the apology.

"Don't apologize until you're better and I'm able to make fun of you for it. You're okay, and that's all that matters." He let out a sigh, the tension from the day leaving his shoulders as he leaned against the camper wall and slowly combing his fingers through the others hair.

"You scared the shit out of me though, I'll tell you that much. "

The others hand carding through Promptos hair was making him even sleepier, but he fought it because he knew he couldn't sleep yet. So he focused on moving Noct's fingers around in different ways, enjoying the skin on skin contact. When Noct scolded him for apologizing, he nodded slightly and whispered,

"Okay..." and watched as his friend slowly relaxed into the camper wall. Well this sucked. He felt himself melt a bit when he heard the concern in the others voice, hating that he worried his friend.

"Isn't that my job? Best friend Prompto, the one who takes photos during battle and can't dodge a lumbering Garula to save his life." He winced a bit as he said that, realizing that Noct probably wouldn't appreciate the gallows humor right now.

"Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to. That second herd came outta nowhere and well, you know how shit I am at fighting at close range."

"Well _now_  you are." He did smirk a bit, grim though the humor was, though the smirk dropped when he heard the apology.

"I get it, I really do but..damn it Prom! What would I have done if you'd died? What would we all do if you were gone?" He let out a shuddering sigh before muttering under his breath. 

Noctis's outburst cause Prom to flinch a bit, which caused him to whine in pain after jarring his injuries. A sharp breath was all he needed though to settle said injuries and he gently squeezed Noct's hand. 

"...Sorry, I shouldn't be snapping right now."

Honestly, Prompto thought they'd be fine without him, but he wasn't about to upset Noct again.

He felt terrible about the fact that his friend got so close to deaths grasp. He almost always kept an eye out on his companions well-being during fights- it gave him a chance to make sure they were using potions and the like when they needed to, but this time, with the sudden second herd, he hadn't had a chance to keep an eye out on his best friend.

"Hey, it's alright Noct. I'd be stressed too if your sorry ass went flying due to anything that wasn't glowing blue." Noctis laughed,

"Noted, if I ever sprout wings, I shouldn't use them in front of you or you might have a heart attack on the spot."

That might just be a good prank if he could pull it off just right… Gladio would probably help him out, and while Noctis normally wasn't the pranking type- not anymore anyway, his friends would probably appreciate a brighter attitude.

Still, Prompto seemed to need reassurance, so perhaps a mention of how hard they all fought for him would help.

"You know...I was seeing red as soon as I saw you go down. I don't think I've ever fought so hard and fast in my life- none of us had. I saw Gladio just about cleave one of those Garula's in half with his monster sword, and Ignis just about stabbed his spear straight through the sides of one." His lips upturned slightly into the half smile that was most common on his face, when said lips weren't instead downturned.

A blush crossed the gunners face when Noct started speaking about the rage the other three had flown into.

"Kinda wish I had seen that. No way did Gladio dice one, those things are huge!" The mental image of them fighting so much did help him calm down a bit. They cared enough that they wanted to protect him.

"You calling me a liar? I'm serious here. We would have grabbed some meat for dinner, but, and I don't know if you noticed, it's been raining for days. The meat wouldn't have lasted very long, and getting you back here was more important than Garula meat." Suddenly, he smirked.

"But you definitely owe all of us dinner. Consider it your medical fees."

Prom laughed a bit when told he owed them dinner, relaxing as Noct laid next to him carefully. "Alright, I'll make sure it's delicious~! Might have to ask for a repeat fight, from a safe distance this time, and get some awesome action shots!"

Noct did smile a bit at the mention of a safer repeat fight.

"We can probably deliver on that. Trust you to bounce back from near death and loathe the fact that you didn't get to take photos."

Proms face was almost all grin, though it vanished as he groaned, having accidentally moved a very sore muscle. Gently he tugged at Noct's hand.

"Oi, lay down with me, looking back at you is making my neck ache." He was pretty sure nothing was too badly hurt right now besides his leg, elixirs were wonderful like that, but he was still sore! He grinned at Noct sleepily,

He froze when he heard the groan, instantly placing a hand on Prompto's shoulder until he heard the explanation.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Sure thing." He laid down gingerly, making sure not to jostle his friend as he laid on his side next to him. He could see the bruising much easier from down here, and it sent a searing twinge through his chest.

"Noct? Never take the Garula express, it's pretty shitty."

"Noted. We'll have to give them terrible reviews." Still, his smile was half-hearted.

Prompto shifted a bit until he could see Noct a bit better, turned on his side while making sure not to put pressure on his broken leg. He laughed at Noct's response to his joke, yet frowned when he saw the smile was half-hearted. He was going to say something, but was cut off by Noct murmuring again, looking at the wall behind Prompto.

"The one that stepped on you...I don't think I've ever tried to make sure an animal like that _felt_  every bit of pain before it died like I did with that one."

Noct didn't go out of his way to make sure pain was inflicted on beasts like the Garula since they were, for the most part, peaceful animals. He always tried to kill them quickly. But seeing Prompto hurt had terrified him into near madness.

There was something dark in Nocts eyes that made him happy, but at the same time definitely shouldn't be there. Carefully he placed a hand on Nocts chest and moved it in a slow circle, coming to a rest over the Princes heart.

"Thanks Noct, but it's just a dumb animal, probably as scared as I was."

"Still..." Noct closed his eyes, humming softly at the soft touch of Prompto's hand, and after a moment he rested his own hand over the one on his chest, giving a small squeeze.

"Animal or not, it hurt you and I won't take that as anything but an insult and an attack to everything I care about." Prompto, of course, fell into the 'everything I care about' category. He was near the very top of that list.

Prompto shook his head gently,

"I'm not worth that okay? It's enough that you all got me out of there and healed, don't blame the poor beast." He gave his friend a smile, hoping Noct would calm a bit, though something told him that Noct was going to be ridiculously protective now.

Nocts frown deepened when the other said he wasn't worth it.

"Prompto...you need to stop that. The whole 'not worth it' thing. You know damn well that I'd fight the gods themselves to keep you alive." He paused. "Correction. I /am/ fighting the gods themselves to keep you alive."

He snorted when he was told not to blame the animals for stepping on and knocking Prompto so far away from safety. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, one hand behind his head as he shut his eyes.

"I'll blame it every day until you've gotten better Prompto. Don't bother trying to stop me." 

… Welp, Prompto was now bright red. Was it possible to die from blushing too much? He stuttered silently and found he couldn't find the words to refute any of Nocts statements, though he tried. It was just words like, "But... No..." and "Nooct..."

Noctis chuckled softly and ruffled the others hair fondly, eyes softening a bit as he looked at the others flustered appearance.

Finally, the gunner just sighed and laced his fingers through Nocts free hand.

"Well, I guess I gotta get better then, huh?" He joked softly, lightly playing with his friends fingers.

The feeling of the other male playing with his hand- bending and spreading his fingers slowly and without thought but always staying gentle, was soothing to Noct. Prompto's hands weren't rough and calloused like Gladio's, but they weren't smooth like those of Ignis or even himself. No, Noctis could only describe them as 'Prompto.'

"Can't say I enjoy mutilated Garula to eat, though you'll probably eat it like some conquering heathen." Prom grinned a bit and closed his eyes, trying not to fall asleep. He conveniently ignored the whole, "stop the "not worth it" thing" with the ease of many years practice. It would take more than a few words to fix it.

"Well now I'm going back to get that meat out of spite. I bet Specs will make something interesting out of mutilated meat. Burgers maybe, or sandwiches." Noctis actually wouldn't mind the latter- it was no secret that he was fond of both sandwiches- provided they lacked carrots, and fish.

"Or we could put them in cup noodles and see if it's possible to make Gladio cry in joy by adjusting his favorite food."

There was silence for a few moments, then Prompto whispered,

"Noct, promise you'll stay?" It was about this time that the sound of Ignis and Gladio approaching could be heard, the two quietly opening the door and walking in.

Ignis surveyed the scene with a silent, yet raised, eyebrow.

"It has been long enough for the elixir to work, you may sleep Prompto."

Noct heard Prompto's quiet request just as Ignis and Gladiolus returned, and though he was well aware of their eyes on them, he waited for Ignis to finish speaking before whispering his reply to his friend.

"Yeah...I'm not going anywhere Prom."

Said gunner gave a quiet cheer and lightly squeezed Nocts hand as he closed his eyes and relaxed, almost instantly asleep.

When the other was sound asleep, Noctis made himself more comfortable, cheeks faintly flushed, though he narrowed his eyes at Gladio's smirk.

"What's that look for…?" He received a simple shrug and a grin in return.

Ignis merely watched in fond exasperation at the silent teasing. He wasn't quite sure what was going on between Noct and Prom, but there was certainly more than friendship. Hell, he knew what it might be, and was promptly ignoring that idea.

"He should be fine so long as nothing gets infected and he rests for a few days. I've taken the liberty of renting the caravan for the next two nights." It was a bit expensive, but worth it for their blonde friend. Ignis had to admit, at least to himself, the sight of Prompto flying through the air was burned in his brain, right after that horrible scream. What was worse, Ignis himself had been right behind his friend and had been unable to do anything. He sighed and sat at the little table the room provided.

"Due to low funds, we are having cup ramen tonight. I'll cook something up for breakfast tomorrow." He didn't need to look up from his gaze on Noct to know Gladio was either smirking or silently cheering.

Noctis wouldn't object to cup noodles, and he knew Gladio wasn't about to either- it was a shared fondness between them, even if Gladio was just a bit more obsessed. They still had to get around to their plan to make the ultimate cup noodles though, but that could wait until Prompto was up and about again.

As he spoke, Prompto whined and shifted in his sleep until he was resting his head on Noct, hand still intertwined with the others. Once he was resting on the Prince's chest, he relaxed, as if the others heart beat had calmed him.

"Sounds good. I-" He paused when Prompto moved, cheeks flushing a bit darker when the other laid on him, and though he figured Ignis was probably pondering, he knew damn well what was going on in the head of his shield. He settled his narrowed gaze on Gladio.

"Not a word big guy, or I turn your cup noodles into Popsicles." Noctis had a surplus of ice magic ready; he had found several outcroppings of elemental deposits near a cold river.

His magic flasks were filled to the brim, and though he used his magic often enough in battle, they did occasionally have incidents where Noctis would have no choice but to have his friends get caught up in the actions. He always felt bad about it after, of course, especially when it came to the ice magic. Gladio never complained, and Ignis wore stuffy clothing that seemed to keep him warm, but he could never get over Prompto's shivering. Still, it was better than the lightning and fire.

Gladio, for his part, just gave a snort and walked over to ruffle Noct's hair, amr being lightly swatted away by said scowling prince but Noctis spoke.

"Anyway, Specs, any ideas on how long it'll take Prompto to get back on his feet?"

Ignis deftly ignored the stupid nickname, despite the fact he rather liked it, and answered,

"He should be fine to move around tomorrow, and be back in fighting shape by the day after. That is, however, only as long as no infections take hold in the next twenty-four hours." That was a bit of a concern for him, as that bone had been exposed to air and the gore wound open to mud and germs.

"The potion should have taken care of any infections, but we will double check tomorrow and give him a potion if need be."

"Guess we wait then. Worst case scenario...we could take him to Lestallum so they can patch him up- there's a hospital there at least."

It was a long drive there, but it was better than even the thought of Prompto suffering from an infection- Noctis, pampered prince though he was, knew the dangers of infection when one was far from a medical center.

Ignis observed the two younger males and the comfort in Promptos position.

"As for now, let's eat and turn in for the night." He set to work making the cup noodles, carefully handing Noct his so as not to jar Prompto.

He took the cup noodles when they were offered, eating as quickly as he could without jostling Prompto or spilling anything on the bed of the camper. Hot soup to the face wouldn't help Prompto get any better.

Prompto woke while they were eating, but only because Noct had to shift to sit up right. He quickly fell asleep again on the bed, one arm resting in Nocts lap.

Eventually the cups were thrown out and the lights shut off, and Noctis laid down comfortably as he could. He pulled the blankets up around himself and his friend, whose arm was settled about his waist.

Ignis was quick to get Gladio in bed to prevent too much teasing, leaving Noct to sleep with Prompto, who was mumbling softly in his sleep. It wasn't very clear, but there definitely was Nocts name, something about chocobos, and steak. All in all, a very odd dream. Most of his dreams were like that, at least until he mumbled the words "Noct" and "stay" both in a sort of pleading tone.

Noct turned on his side to face Prompto, shutting his eyes before snapping them open again at the sound of soft mumbling that sounded like his name. He listened closer, heart beating faster when he found that the other was... pleading to him? Was Prompto scared? He gingerly scooted just a bit closer, slowly combing through Prompto's hair with his fingers before murmuring softly, not really thinking about it.

"I won't go. I'm not leaving you Prompto. It's fine."

Nocts soft words seemed to help settle Prompto down, as he stopped mumbling and moved closer to Noct, cuddling a bit. Due to being in the Caravan, there was little worry about anything attacking them, and no nightmares came past that first one.

Before long, Noct too fell sound asleep, hand settled comfortably on Prompto's arm.


	2. In Which Noct beats up Ignis and Gladio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A light, fluffy chapter with some teasing~ nice after some hurt.

Prompto was warm, and being lightly restrained. It wasn't bad, almost protective, and he was loathe to remove himself from whatever was. Instead, Prom moved closer to the solid wall and relaxed. Wait, what wall breathed? Grumbling to himself, he slowly opened his eyes.

Oh.

Somehow in his sleep he had ended up tucked underneath Nocts chin and held close, an arm over chest. Proms own arm was still flung over Nocts waist and their legs had tangled together a bit.

Oh.

A very manly squeak left Prompto and he glanced up to see if Noct was awake, knowing the other two probably were already and making breakfast. Heh, Noct awake, unlikely.

When Noctis first started waking up in the later part of the early morning, it was to a squirming movement and the sound of...squeaking? An annoyed grumble escaped him, but when he felt something moving _on him_ and breathing, he decided that it probably justified at least temporarily opening his eyes.

When he came face to face with Prompto just about laying on him, his face flushed pink and he couldn't help but just stare. A quick glance back, however, confirmed to him that Gladio and Ignis were very much out, and he was willing to bet all the gil he had that they had seen the position he and Prompto had been in. The future king had never wanted to curl up and hide more. That said, he had to say _something._ He swallowed and blinked, once, twice, before finally gathering the nerve to say something.

"Er…morning Prompto. Are you feeling any better now?"

Okay, Prom had _not_  been expecting Noct to be awake. The Prince slept through everything! Of course the one time they're in an embarrassing position is the one time Noct wakes up on his own. This of course meant, that Prompto let out another embarrassed squeak and pulled his head back enough so he could meet Noct's gaze, bright red.

"M.morning Noct. I feel pretty good, just a bit so... ow!" In his movement to see Noct, he had jostled his leg. Wincing, he gave the prince a lopsided grin.

"Okay, maybe I shouldn't move my leg yet. Other than that though, I'm fine! Promise." He didn't feel sick anymore, just sore and a bit embarrassed.

"Right. That's..that's good." He jolted a bit when the other hurt himself, already prepared to pin the other male down just to see if he'd broken his leg even worse, but he was interrupted when Ignis came in. The advisor took in both of their red faces and blinked, then turned away.

"Breakfast is ready. Noct, I suggest you help Prom get into some clean clothes and join us. Then I shall reassess his injuries." He then left, leaving the two blushing friends alone.

Noctis, for his part, just gave a slow nod and crawled off the bed when Ignis left.

"Where the hell did Specs put your bag…" He shuffled around the camper, eventually locating their belongings in a small cupboard before pulling out Prompto's usual outfit. That was step one, step two was a little trickier. Luckily, he had seen his friend just about nude before- friendship since high school would do that to a guy, but it didn't help the fluttery feeling in his chest.

Prom watched as Noct shuffled around, eventually pulling out his clothes, mildly wondering what they did with his blood soaked ones. No way Iggy would just leave them be.

"Well, let’s start with the easy stuff first. Lift your arms up, slowly so you don't actually break your ribs. We're starting with the top half because I don't need you to scream and have everyone think you're being violated."

He was pulled from his thoughts when Noct spoke up again, the Princes' words earning him a half-hearted slap from Prompto and the finger.

"You're worried about people _thinking_ I'm getting violated? How 'bout the cripple who can't actually escape if ya did?" He smirked at Noct, then sat up, wincing a bit.

Noctis rolled his eyes at Prompto's smack and sass. "Yes Prompto, because I'm the first guy that would bend your scrawny ass over this bed without consent." Definitely. Noctis was just that much of a fiend.

"Okay, ow. Specs was right about the hurt ribs." Carefully he lifted his arms up, turning his body towards Noct and giving his friend a look that was supposed to be "sultry". It fell horribly flat due to the weird angle and the slight twinges of pain that flashed across his face.

"That's why I said go slow Prom." He did smirk at the attempt at being seductive, though he frowned a bit when he saw the flashes of pain.

"Right, no trying to seduce royalty Prompto. Time to make sure you don't get some weird infection that means we need to amputate." He pulled up the hem of his friends shirt, carefully working the others arms out before tossing the item of clothing aside and grabbing the clean shirt.

"So I can seduce Royalty later~?" He wiggled his eyebrows at Noct. It wasn't hard to relax as Noct pulled his shirt off, used to it when the two decided to do stupid shit back in Insomnia.

"You wish you could. Then again, the marriage to Luna is off so technically I'm available."

It was no secret among the group that Noctis didn't really have romantic feelings for Lady Lunafreya, but that he was in fact incredibly fond of her. He had told Prompto once, during a late, very quiet night, that his relationship with Luna was almost like the relationship between kindred spirits. Neither felt about the other romantically, but both cared very deeply.

"Keep those arms up. If they drop I smother you with a pillow."

Nocts threat had Prompto rolling his eyes. "Dude, even I know that I'm physically stronger than you. You couldn't smother me if you tried." He huffed with a smirk, tilting his head back a bit in a mock challenge.

Noct scoffed,

"You wish you were physically stronger. Besides, you're a cripple right now so all I'd have to do is poke your leg and you'd be crying like a baby." A bit of snark at his friends’ expense never hurt.

He carefully tugged the others shirt on, trying very carefully not to jostle him. His ribs did look pretty painful. "By the way, how's your breathing? Not too painful?"

"My breathing? Eh, it's fine. Hurts a bit when I push out against the bandages, but that's cause Specs wraps them like a constrictor." Prompto lightly tapped Noct on the head. "What about you? you didn't seem so great last night."

"Me? I'm fine Prompto. Really." Well, it wasn't a total lie. Noct was perfectly fine on a physical and probably mental level, but emotionally he wasn't so sure. But he'd keep it inside like he always did, for everyone's sake.

"Mhm..." Prompto gave his best friend that showed he clearly didn't believe him. Upside to being friends for so long is that he was a literal Noct-lie detector. Downside? Noct could do the same with him. It was honestly kinda funny at times, like when he had called Noct out on some bullshit excuse he gave the others to avoid going to dinner with his dad, cause it upset him to see the King so weak. Ignis had actually asked him once how he did it, but Prom just shrugged and said, "He's my friend."

Carefully he shrugged on the jacket and pushed the blanket away from his hips.

"Better up my flirting game then." He smirked a bit and did a very awkward sexy pose, or as well as he could with a leg in a splint.

"So... how are we getting my pants off?? cause the splint is over top."

"Yeah the splint isn't helping you out in trying to seduce me. But you've got a point about the splint…" He pursed his lips, thinking about how to go about this before snapping his fingers.

"Got it." He searched around the camper, and eventually he located the sewing kit that Ignis kept in case their clothes got damaged. Pulling out a pair of scissors, he sat down next to Prompto on the bed.

"Your pants are gonna be ruined until Ignis can sew them back up, but it's better than hearing you scream like a banshee if I rip the splint off. Don't wiggle around too much, got it?" Without waiting for a response, he lined up the scissors with the side seam of Prompto's pants, and started cutting up starting from the legs.

The sight of scissors had Prom paling a bit, and he whined.

"Dude, why ya gotta ruin my... whoa!" Clearly Noct didn't give a shit about his whining and had already started to cut, causing Prom to freeze. He did _not_  want to get snipped on accident.

"I wouldn't scream like a banshee..." He grumbled, watching as Noct all the way up to his crotch, causing him to squirm a tiny bit. This was so awkward... Luckily it was only one leg that was broken, so only one set of seams had to be cut. Once it was cut away, Prompto started Wriggling the pants off his other leg.

"Dude, you so owe me another pair of pants." He was pouting a bit, but he was glad Noct hadn't just ripped his pants off. that would've hurt.

"So, any headaches? You'd think Gentiana would be a bit more persistent about us getting those seal thingies." Prom paused, "Plus, we still gotta find the Regalia..." Oh, that was going to be a problem. If Prompto couldn't walk, how the hell were they going to continue their quests?

"No headaches. Not yet anyway. The last one was yesterday before you got injured. As for the Regalia, we've gotta wait for a call from Cindy since she's probably still asking around about it."

Once the other had wiggled out of his pants and was left in nothing but his boxers, Noctis tossed him a clean pair of undergarments and pants.

The flying clothing was deftly caught by Prom who stuck his tongue out at his friend.

"Get your underwear off and the new ones on by yourself while I find something we can use as a crutch to get you down the steps." That was only half of the reason he wasn't gonna help the other out with his boxers, of course. Noctis wasn't exactly a prude, but he wasn't about to put his hands anywhere near his friends underwear while the guy was wearing them, or near his dick when he wasn't.

"Gee, thanks for your help." He carefully shimmied himself out of his boxers, slipping on the new ones with a bit of difficulty. Said difficulty resulted in him lying on his back with his feet and legs in the air. Prom was kinda ridiculously flexible and it showed when he basically contorted himself to get his pants on.

"Dammit, Noct, a little help?" His boxers were on, but his pants were being stubborn, and twisting himself like he was wasn't exactly good for his wounds. A yelp left him as he felt a few stitches pop and he groaned.

"Crap, Iggy is gonna kill me."

"Shit... I said the boxers Prompto, not the pants. Now Specs is gonna kick my ass too." He came over, checking on the stitches first.

"Hm...it's not _too_ bad. Not great though. Alright, hold still." He carefully sat the other up and started slowly tugging the pants over his friends’ legs, going slow and stopping each time Prompto expressed any hints of pain or discomfort.

Eventually though, he had Prompto dressed and ready to go, slipping socks and shoes onto the others feet before patting him on the shoulder.

"I found some rods we can use as crutches." He helped Prompto sit on the edge of the bed before handing the rods over- they were the iridium ones that they stored with all of the random treasures and trinkets that Noctis just seemed to find during their travels.

"Thanks... Where the hell do you find this stuff anyway?" He asked rhetorically, grasping the rods and pulling himself upright.

"It's a secret Prompto. You'll just have to start paying more attention." Ignis had long since stopped trying to figure it out, and Gladio just considered it good fortune.

It took a moment to find his balance, but afterwards he hopped over to the door and waited.

"Let's not tell Specs till after we eat?" He asked, waiting for Noct to let them out. "Otherwise he'll stick me again and I'm starving!"

Thoughts of teasing were lost when Prompto mentioned waiting, and after a long moment of consideration, Noct nodded an agreement. "Right, let's go then."

Meanwhile outside, Ignis had whipped together some bacon and eggs for all of them, along with some juice. It hadn't taken too long but he figured that he should give Noct and Prom some time to get ready.

Now though, he sat in front of the camper and watched in amusement as Prom hopped out with some help from Noct, looking them over.

It was a real struggle getting out of the camper, especially when Noctis had to give Ignis a pointed stare for just _watching_ them try to struggle out.

Eventually though, they managed to get to their chairs and grab their food, and Noctis, for his part, was more than happy to start eating.

"I trust that neither of you had too much difficulty?" Prom winced slightly, but Ignis didn't comment, instead motioning to a chair and handing him a plate.

"Not too much, but Prompto either needs a new pair of pants or the old ones fixed." It was an offhand comment really, made with his usual air of near nonchalance with the sole intention of flustering his friends while he took a bite of his breakfast and sipped at the cup of juice.

"HEY!" Prompto reached over and smacked Noct on his arm, flustered. "Don't listen to him Iggy, he just had to cut my pants off..."

Oh, that didn't sound any better. He buried his face in his hands and resolved to just eat without saying anything else. Ignis for his part took the words in stride, merely sipping his juice and remarking,

"Well, then I will repair them while we have some down time." At the reminder that they were just sitting here for two days, Prompto frowned.

"Isn't that a bad idea? I mean, we don't usually stay in one place very long, 'cause imperials tend to find us..." While they usually didn't attack outposts, Prompto wouldn't put it past them, especially if they found out he was somehow incapacitated.

Noctis smirked and continued eating his breakfast in silence at the flustered noises and look of his friend, though his smirk faded at the thought of imperials and their annoying habit of locating the group wherever they went.

"We don't really have much of a choice Prompto. You're not gonna be riding a chocobo anytime soon, and carrying you everywhere is risky since we might get jumped." He shoveled another bite into his mouth and shut his eyes, thinking about their options. He knew Ignis was probably doing the same.

Ignis went to reply, when he spotted Gladio coming back,

"Ah, just in time. How was your search?"

Noct opened one eye a bit to look at Gladio when Ignis called out to the large male, and he hummed softly as an indication that he was also curious.

Gladiolus, for his part, sat down and grabbed a plate of food, shoveling down a few bites before answering.

"Nothing about the car- Cindy is still looking and asking her friends, but I did find out where we might find the seals. I already marked the candidate places down on our map."

"That's great right?! That means you three can go get the seals and find the god!" He grinned at them, not showing that he didn't want them to go without him. It just wasn't practical, like Noct had said. This way, they wouldn't be wasting time while he was healing up. That's when he noticed frowns on the others faces.

Noctis knew for a fact that Gladio and Ignis disliked Prompto's plan just as much as he himself did, even if they all knew that it was the most logical solution to their predicament.

"What? It's the best course of action right?" Prom waved a hand at Noct, wincing slightly when he felt the stitches pull more,

"Noct here can go summon the Thunder God, and by the time y'all finish up, I'll be healed! Perfect plan. Plus, I can be on phone hold for Cindy when she finds the Regalia." He loved Cindy, he really did, but it was more of an admiration? Kinda like what Noct had with Luna, only a whole less deep. After all, those two were twin spirits or something.

Noctis was stubborn, and he knew the others would back him up.

"No. I don't care if it's the best idea we have Prompto. We're not leaving you here by yourself where anyone could find you." Sure, it was more important for Noctis not to be found, but at the end of the day, Prompto _was_ a part of the group, so he was liable to be taken hostage by the imperials if they left him behind.

Prompto pouted a bit, but didn't deny that it was nice that they said he wasn't being left behind.

"Alright, so what do we do then? Sit around till I can run again?" He could still shoot a gun, though he could practice his aim a bit more...

Gladio nodded and huffed his agreement before speaking.

"Worst comes to worst, I'll carry you to the seals myself."

At Gladio's offer, Prom grinned.

"Thanks big guy, but I don't like you like that. Try Iggy, might work better." Ignis pushed his glasses up and coughed, a slight blush crossing his face. To hide it, he began cleaning up the breakfast mess.

He snorted softly at Prompto's teasing, and Gladio just rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Prompto's head, feigning getting ready to squeeze till it popped.

"Now, I believe we need to restitch your side?" Prom gaped at him, then turned to Noct.

"How...? Iggy, you sure you aren't psychic?" Ignis didn't deign to reply, instead heading to the trailer.

Noctis, for his part, wasn't even surprised to hear Ignis talking about stitching up Prompto's side. Gladiolus didn't seem all that shocked either- they had long since learned that hiding things from Ignis was damn near futile.

"Welp, Specs has spoken." Prompto sighed. "Can help me in Noct? No point in delaying anything."

"I've got it." He set his empty plate and cup down before standing, helping Prompto up and letting the other lean on him while they more or less hobbled back into the trailer.

Once they were there, he laid Prompto back down and gave his shoulder a pat.

"At least now you won't be completely delirious and confused when you get those stitches fixed."

Prom hummed in agreement, pulling his shirt up some.

"Very true, I honestly thought that Ignis was using a Garula to hold me in place for some reason?" Pain did weird things to his brain. Ignis for his part, finished prepping the needle and turned back to the two younger men.

"I assure you I did not use a Garula to hold you down, even if Gladio is the human version of one." Prom snorted and turned his head to the side to hold in a laugh. Carefully Ignis shifted into position and glanced at Noct.

"As Gladio is currently busy, I will need you to restrain Prompto." A wince crossed the gunners face, but he smirked up at his friend,

"Bet you can't do better than Garula Gladio~" The sooner he was stitched up the sooner he'd heal. The sooner he healed the sooner that they could go find the seals for Noct.

"Garula man might whack you for calling him what you just did, but I'll pin you down if that shuts you up and fixes your side." That said, he settled down and pinned Prompto's shoulders firmly to the bed, more or less using his entire body to prevent both movement and to prevent Prompto from having to watch.

"Take it away Ignis. And Prompto, if you bite, scratch, or spit I'm taking your camera and photographing every second of it for evidence."

He was all too willing to do just that, he really was. Prompto had taken more than a few unflattering pictures of everyone in the gang- it was high time for revenge. Still, he didn't envy Prompto his situation when he watched Ignis pierce Prompto's flesh with the needle. He tried to keep his mind occupied with thoughts on finding the seals.

"Like hell you're getting my camer... ow!" Right, needles when not hyped on pain were even worse. He fought himself to keep still, but that didn't stop a hand from coming up and gripping the first thing he could very tightly.

Unfortunately for Noct, this means that Proms hand was now tangled in his hair and gripping _hard_.

"OW! I swear to the six Prompto- get your hand out of my hair!" He was stuck in the position of trying to swat Prompto's hand out of his hair while still keeping the other pinned. This resulted in quite a bit of wiggling from Noctis and a lot of discomfort from the blonde underneath him.

Ignis worked quickly, though he was amused by the positioning the two younger men had ended up in. In fact, he only had to put in four new stitches, and neither seemed to realize he was done already.

Taking a leaf from Noct's book, Ignis pulled out his phone and snapped several pictures of the two. The click of a phone camera caught Proms attention and alerted him to what was going on.

"Wha..." Specs was done and walking out.

. He glowered at Ignis when he heard the camera go off.

"Specs if that picture gets out nobody here is gonna be happy." He knew he wouldn't get a response, but the threat was real. Noct knew damn well how to make other people as uncomfortable as possible with his silence or comments.

"Consider it your payment." Then he left, leaving Prom still gripping Nocts hair and very confused. Why did Ignis take pictures of them...

"Ah, sorry noct!" He let go of the others hair, but couldn't escape due to the others body on him.

It felt like sweet relief when Prompto let go of his hair, and Noct more or less rolled off of the other while he swept his hand over it to make sure nothing had gotten ripped out.

"Gods Prompto. The first thing you think of to grab onto is my hair? You couldn't have gone for my hand or the pillow?" It was clear that he was both teasing and exasperated.

Prompto didn't answer at first, instead rolling so he was face down in the pillow. Noct wiggling around had been uncomfortable, but fuck, it had also gotten him aroused. Being aroused while injured was a pain in the ass. No way was he gonna be able to look Noct in the eye right now.

So, he spoke into the pillow.

"ughhhhh, you don't understaaaannnnd. Needles hurt. Plus, your head was right in my reach." He flipped the prince off. "I didn't care what I grabbed."

"Um, what exactly did Ignis photograph? I couldn't see with your fat ass on top of me." He had an idea, and hopefully it wasn't what he thought it was.

"My ass is not fat. Prompto I'm literally the exact opposite of overweight. And trust me, you really don't want to know what he photographed. All I know is that I'm beating his ass in training later for it."

It wasn't often that he would go out of his way to train with a member of their group. It mostly happened when he was pissed off, needed an excuse to blow of some energy, or when a blow to his pride had been dealt. It was never a fun time for anyone but Noctis and occasionally Gladio when they did train though- Noctis tended to get feisty during it.

Outside, Ignis walked over to Gladio and handed him the phone, silently showing him the photo. Regardless of Nocts threat, it was far too entertaining when Gladio teased the two younger boys.

"Do take it easy on the injured one." Ignis gave Gladio a slight smile, fully prepared for the tantrum that Noct would throw if he found out Gladio had seen the pictures.

As soon as Gladio came into the trailer with a smirk on his face, he whistled to the younger two of the group, smirk turning quickly into a shit eating grin.

"Well, well, lovebirds.." Noctis' eyes narrowed.

Yep, today was definitely a training day.

"Love birds?" Prompto turned his head to glare at Gladio, "What the hell are you talking about?" He wasn't oblivious by any means - he thinks - but why would Gladio call them love birds...

Oh.

He knows what Ignis took a picture of.

Groaning, he buried his face in the pillow again to hide from everyone.

"Noct? Do me a solid and beat Specs and Garula man's asses in training." He hated training with Noct because the other could beat his ass six ways to Sunday, but Iggy and Gladio could hold up pretty well. He just knew that Gladio was glaring at him for the Garula comment, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Ignis walked in at that moment and took in the scene before him with a sigh.

"Shall I procure an area where we won't destroy the outpost?" He asks metaphorically, turning and walking out to find a safe area to train. It was unlikely that both he and Gladio would be training with Noct, as the Prince seemed loathe to leave Prompto alone.

Noct nodded his consent when asked to beat down the smug older members of their group, and gave Ignis a narrow eyed nod when asked if he should prepare a training area. Once both of his soon to be victims left, he turned to Prompto and patted the others shoulder.

"Don't worry, by the time I'm finished they'll be the ones who need stitches. Make sure to take pictures when they come back."

"Hey Noct? I wanna see you beat their asses." By this point, Prom was calm enough to face Noct without turning bright red. "Think I could?"

Noct was about to leave when he heard Prompto's request, and he raised an eyebrow before nodding.

"Yeah, sure. Just try not to pull your stitches walking. I'll grab your fake crutches." He scampered off to do just that, snagging the rods and passing them over before helping Prompto up and out of the camper.

"Besides, if you watch it means I get to beat their asses at the same time." He had done it before- beaten all three of them at once. It had taken a toll on all of them but had been a lot of fun for Noctis.

Prompto gladly took the crutches, pausing only for a moment to gather up his camera before letting Noct help him out of the camper.

When Ignis and Gladio came back, Noct swatted the big guys arm away from his head playfully when said behemoth tried to ruffle his hair.

"Lead the way Specs." He stayed next to Prompto in case the other needed help, of course.

Prompto grinned at the two older victims glad that for once he wasn't the one getting beat up on. Slowly he hopped after the other three as Ignis led them away from the outpost.

It was just the clearing on the other side of the main road, but damn it was hard to walk there.

"Ugh..." At one point he grabbed onto Noct's shoulder, breathing hard.

"I forgot how much effort it takes to walk with crutches..." It came out a breathy whine and he knew it was a bit pathetic, but come on! he had only gotten hurt yesterday.

"Um... Mind helping me down the stairs to the battle zone?"

Noctis walked slowly so Prompto could keep up, letting out a hum of agreement when he was asked to help out.

Fortunately, it didn't take long and the worst incident that happened was the fact that Noctis nearly dropped on of his friends crutches down the stairs. By the time they got there though, it seemed Ignis and Gladio were waiting for them.

Ignis was already waiting in a cleared out section of grass, a decent sized group of boulders nearby.

"Sit Prompto over there Noct, we're ready when you are." He stood relaxed, arms crossed.

He set Prompto down and gave the other a fierce grin and a squeeze on the shoulder.

"Remember- take lots of pictures." He made his way to the battlefield, and he cleared his mind.

"Will do!" Prom agreed, setting up his camera carefully and using Noct as a focus target. Once satisfied, he began to watch the match unfold before him. Ohhh boy, this was gonna be good!

The sound of Ignis counting down for them to begin was loud and clear in Nocts mind, and the second he heard 'go,' he summoned his engine blade and took off in a warp strike, giving Ignis a good strike.

Ignis grunted as he blocked the strike with his daggers, barely staggered by the force. He didn't even bother to counter, instead flipping off to the side. One learned quickly not to stay in one place for too long when your opponent could literally warp anywhere. The click of a camera was heard in the background, but he ignored it in favor of switch to a polearm.

"Come now Noct, you're much better than that." He ribbed, racing towards the younger man.

He kept an eye on Gladio, who's sheer size allowed him to take more hits. Hence, Ignis often used him as a shield while using his polearm to keep enemies, or in this case Noct, at a distance for Gladio.

Noctis' mind was clear as a still pool, even with Ignis' jabs at his pride. He had long since gotten past the stage at snide comments from his friends hindering his combat abilities.

He glanced around and spotted the telltale sparkle of magic and jabbed towards it.

What Noct hadn't been counting on was just how good his blonde friend had gotten when it came to spotting where he would warp. He barely managed to dodge and offer a strike in return, and he pursed his lips in thought while he warped about their 'arena' to recover his magical abilities.

Ignis tsked and dodged, not getting away completely and got a decent cut for his troubles.

Deciding he was better off taking down the shield first, he warped high up and out of sight before switching weapons.

As Ignis dodged away, he failed to notice Noct coming in from above, having been expecting him to warp somewhere else and still be recovering energy. This proved to be a mistake as Gladio let out a warriors yell, blocking Noct with his broad sword, though it did slip and clip him a bit.

One of the royal arms- the axe, was rested firmly in Nocts hands as he warped down and took a strong swipe at Gladio, warping away just as quickly. He could feel the drain on his energy as he held the axe, so he swapped it out for normal daggers quickly.

Spotting Noct with daggers, Gladio charged at him, broadsword a swinging.

Noct actually got a pretty good hit from Gladio- one that had sent him flying and sprawling across the ground, but he was up on his feet moments later knowing he had no time to spare.

Prom was having the time of his life, snapping pictures of the action. One of Gladio blocking a dagger strike, Noct clipping Iggy, Iggy and Gladio back to back while Noct warped in from above, Nocts ass... That last one was private, but still!

"Whoo! go Noct!" He cheered, ignoring the unamused looks he got from the shield and advisor. He was going to cheer his best friend on dammit! plus, the older two were starting to look beat up, while Noct looked flawless.

Noct was gonna have some nasty bruises later. He pursed his lips while he continued to warp about, and the cheers from Prompto actually spurred him on in his formulated plan.

Gladio was stronger, but Noct was infinitely faster and more capable of maneuvering. That's what gave him his idea. That and the royal axe he had taken out once again.

Summoning his powers, he let out a shout as spectral weapons floated in their ethereal circles around him. His eyes seemed to glow as he warped forward towards Gladio, switching weapons and attacking with the inhumane speed of the gift of the kings of old. His hands flew in attack while his feet kept him leaping and warping to dodge Ignis' weapons.

Why Noct thought he had to dodge Ignis was anyones guess, because after trying to land one hit it became clear that the king was going far too fast to be hit. Instead he moved to help block some of the hits, wincing when some got through his guard. He would be very sore tomorrow.

Eventually Ignis collapsed, unable to take any more hits. He and Prompto had always been the weakest when it came to such things, though they made up for it with deadly aim and brains.

Gladio had appreciated the help at first, but was now wishing specs hadn't because Gladio was now protecting said advisor from any of the remaining blows.

He finally knocked Noct back, but was panting heavily and had several bleeding cuts.

Ignis wasn't out cold, but he was breathing hard, bleeding, and really not feeling up to moving right now.

Prompto ate it all up, snapping photos left and right. He may have let out a happy squeal when he saw armiger pop out, taking care to capture a perfect photo of the legendary artifacts.

"Damn Noct, they look really beat." He grinned, hooting happily.

Noct couldn't help it when he warped back after the armiger faded- he flashed a smile for the camera like he knew Prompto would had wanted.

Now it was just him and Gladio, but now the big guy didn't have a little buddy to stab Noctis in the back when he went in for the metaphorical kill.

"Come on big guy, where's all that training you talk about gone?" Nobody in their group was above _giving_ taunts during battle, of course. He also knew he was safe to finish the battle, though he was favoring one leg at this point due to a good swipe of the shield on Gladio's part.

Spreading his stance and warping to a high point, he settled to recover his magic and watch the others movements. Eventually though, he found his opening. Switching back over to his engine blade, he warped down and all but landed on Gladio as he gave another strong swipe of the sword to the others back, leaping back and bracing himself in case the larger male actually still had some energy.

Noct didn't have to worry about Gladio having any energy left as all his remaining energy had gone into blocking that last attack.

Prompto got a perfect shot of Gladio falling to his knees with Noct's blade pressed against the big mans broadsword, getting a yell of happiness from said blonde.

There was a grunt as he hit the ground, and Gladio panted, giving Noct the stank eye. Still, he dismissed his weapon and sat down hard, groaning.

"Ugh, can't believe I just got beaten by sleeping beauty herself."

Ignis gave an unsophisticated snort at the words, tiredly calling a potion up and breaking it, Gladio doing the same.

Noctis held a victorious smirk when he brought Gladio to his knees, though he did break out a potion for himself when the other two did- they would need as much energy as they could get after all.

"Maybe you needed to train more than I did, huh Gladio?" Any chance to one up his behemoth of a friend was a chance worth taking, considering the fact that his entire relationship with Gladio consisted of banter and a bit of competitiveness.

It was mostly fun, save for the rare occasion when he and Gladio were actually mad at each other. Whenever that happened, Noctis would either sulk by himself or sit silently with Prompto, while Gladio would stay by Ignis' side.

Prom was practically bouncing on the rock he was sat on, poofy hair now flat from how long all of them had been in the rain.

"Dude, that was awesome! I gotta show you these shots... Achoo!" He shook himself and gave a sheepish smile. "After we get dry."

"Yes," mused Ignis, slowly standing, "It would behoove us to all get inside before we get sick." It was left unsaid that it was mainly for Prompto's sake, as his body was weaker cause it was still healing.

Noct smiled just a bit more at Prompto's enthusiasm over the pictures, though he raised an eyebrow at the sneezing. He silently prayed that Prompto wasn't sick- that was the last thing the blonde needed.

He helped Prompto up and handed the other male his crutches, staying close so he could help if it was needed.

"Can't wait to see them. You sure seem happy with them considering the fact that it's raining." With that, he gave the gesture for them to head for shelter.

Prom grinned as he was helped along, carefully sheltering his camera as he hopped.

"Well yeah, because Action shots in rain are hard to get right. I got several awesome shots, cause your magic looks beautiful in the rain." His brain caught up with his mouth and he flushed a bit, purposely avoiding looking at Gladio, who he knew was now snickering.

He pointedly avoided commenting about the mention of his magic being 'beautiful.' Still, warmth rose to his cheeks, and it was only with the help of the cooling rain that there were no visible or vocal signs, save for a soft hum that was neither praise nor admonishment.

It didn't help that at that moment, the makeshift crutches slipped on the wet ground, sending Prompto tumbling into Noctis.

The fall kind of stunned Prompto as he had been wind milling and trying to save his camera, resulting in him shutting his eyes in expectation for the hard ground. Except, there was no hard ground. He hit something warm and soft.

"uhh..."

When Prompto fell, Noctis could only just see a blonde head of hair coming straight for him.

He turned, about to speak, when he felt Prompto knocking straight into him and sending them both tumbling to the muddy ground, breath getting knocked out of Noctis as he was unintentionally made into a soft place to land.

When he opened his eyes again, he was staring straight into the bright blue eyes of his best friend and listening to the almost flustered noise that came from him.

Ignis, who had been walking ahead to make dinner, glanced back at the two younger men with a put upon sigh and continued to came to start the food, knowing they'd be fine. If they weren't, well, Gladio was right there.

"Yeah, er....Gladio? You should grab dry clothes and get the medical supplies ready in case Prompto's stitches ripped." An excuse, but a convincing one. Noct heard Gladio's snort and he could practically _feel_ his sneer as he walked off, presumably to do just that.

That done, Noctis turned to look at Prompto, cheeks actually just the faintest bit pink.

"So...you didn't mess your leg up did you?"

There was silence for a moment as Prompto regained his senses, blinking. He had landed on Noct, which explained why he didn't have more injuries.

Prompto also registered that his face had ended up buried in Nocts neck, and that his leg was _throbbing_. Too embarrassed to look up, he merely nodded against the Princes neck, breathing a bit heavily,

"Wasn't expecting the fall, legs throbbing like a bitch." He hadn't bothered to move his face, breathing against Nocts neck and ear.

Ignis glanced up at Gladio when the large man came over, raising an eyebrow. Gladio merely rolled his eyes and muttered,

"Prince just caught his princess, they're being sickening."

"Shut up Gladio. I bet I could bring up a few 'sickening' moments from the recent past that involve you."

Ignis shook his head at the banter and went to check, as Noct and Prom were maybe fifty feet from the campground. Seeing no further harm about, he called,

"Noctis, do bring Prompto up here so we can check his wounds."

Noct turned his attention to what Ignis said, then hummed softly.

"Right."

Gladio flipped Noct off with a smirk before heaving a put on sigh at Ignis, "Ignis, how can they be so oblivious?!" Only get shooed away by the annoyed advisor with a sharp,

"Get them clothes!"

"Thank the Six for Specs- at least I can trust him not to be an ass at every possible moment." He made sure to say it loud enough that Gladio could hear him, letting out a self-satisfied smirk at the disgruntled grunt he heard from the big guy in response.

"Alright Prompto, if this hurts, let me know so I can stop." He sat up slowly, letting Prompto keep his head where it was- it was better to make sure he was comfortable and couldn't see Noct's faint blush anyway- not that one could really tell anyway what with the rain and all.

Wiggling his way out from underneath his friend, he carefully pulled him up and, not trusting the crutches in this kind of weather, tucked them under one arm while he used the other to support Prompto after he helped him to stand.

There was a slight wince from Prompto when Noct moved out from under him, but once upright he relaxed a bit, letting his bad leg swing free, and lifting his head.

"Think you can walk, or do I have to act like our behemoth and carry you up?”

"Nah, ya don't have to be a behemoth yet Noct." His face was flushed, but that could be explained away by the pain.

"Alright, try and lean on me while you walk- if your leg breaks any more I'm tying you to the back of a chocobo and letting it carry you around." With that out on the table, Noctis started moving, making his way towards the haven and the tent with Prompto leaning on him.

"Let’s get up there so we can eat and Ignis can be a mother hen at my leg."

Ignis raised an eyebrow at a Prompto, but let it slide for the moment, instead saying,

"I believe you had some photos to show us?" Prompto grinned and nodded, holding up his camera as they got onto the Havens grounds.

"Hell ya!" Ignis gave the excited gunner a small smile and waved the two young men into the tent.

"Gladio has laid out clothes for you, please get changed and I will bring dinner in a moment."

Noct held the tent flap open and more or less gently pushed Prompto inside, ducking in after him and locating the dry clothes that had been laid out.

"If you can get changed by yourself, go ahead. If not, let me know and we can give Ignis another pair of pants that he needs to sew up." He heard an undignified snort from outside and smirked.

Prompto gratefully sunk to the ground once inside the tent, giving an indignant sound and flipping Noct off.

"Dude, if you cut my pants again, I'm not gonna have any left!" He huffed and pulled off his jacket and shirt, tossing them off to the side.

Locating his own clothes, he set to changing, admittedly already kind of chilly considering how long they had been in the rain. He was actually a little bit of a prude when it came to getting undressed-had been for years- so he only ever did so around others-even his friends- when he had to.

When it came to his pants, Prompto got one leg off, but then once again hit the dilemma of getting them off without jerking his leg. Taking a deep breath, he flipped onto his back and bent in half, pulling them off.

A loud whistle caught his attention, making him glance over at Gladio, who was staring at him do gymnastics on the tent floor to get his clothes off.

"Didn't know you were that flexible blondie."

"Shut up big guy." Prompto shot back, flushing.

Noctis had gotten changed relatively quickly, sighing in relief now that he was in dry clothes and socks, though he rolled his eyes at Gladio's comments, even as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

Ignis, who had walked in to see Prompto doing the gymnastics, tutted slightly as he watched them,

"Do refrain from doing that until you're healed, else your stitches will pop again."

When Ignis came in, Noct snorted softly and leaned down to quietly speak into Prompto's ear. "Looks like we're travelling with a couple of voyeurs."

Noctis's whispered words didn't help Prompto control his flush at all, but he kept it down enough that he didn't quite look like a tomato. Still, he wasn't embarrassed enough to quip back

"Guess we'll have to hide when we wanna have fun~"

Prompto managed to get his pants and boxers off, and new boxers on, but got stuck on his pants. He sighed a bit,

"Noct, a bit of help please?"

"I got it Prompto. Don't move." He came over, sitting Prompto up and slowly tugging the others pants up his calves and thighs, giving him a light smack on the back and a hair ruffle when the other was finally dressed and dry as the rest of them.

Prompto followed his friend’s instructions, keeping still until the other ruffled his hair, making an indignant noise.

"There. We might just need to buy looser fitting pants for you-" Suddenly Noct smirked.

"You could always wear Gladio's and wear a belt so they don't fall off. But we'll figure that out later."

"Thanks man. And no way, Gladio wears leather pants! Those are almost as tight as my jeans!" Gladio gave an amused huffed and gave a joking stretch to show off.

Noct turned to Ignis, sitting with his legs sprawled in front of him.

"Well, if we're already inside there's no use bringing him out." It was raining heavy still, so they couldn't sit outside or anything of the sort- on rainy days they usually just had cup noodles.

When Noct sat down, Prompto leaned against his side, listening to Iggy and Nocts conversation. Iggy just chuckled,

"Luckily for you, I was able to get the stove going, we're having some breaded Garula." He pulled four plates from his back and handed them out, settling down and changing his shirt before starting to eat.

"Aw hell yea, thanks Iggy!" Prompto cheered, digging in.

Noct smiled at the sight of the food, taking his own plate and settling down before zipping the tent up so the chill wouldn't get in.

"Nice job Specs." He actually liked the rain- when it wasn't raining _on_ him. For a lot of his childhood- whenever he woke up in the night from night terrors and was unable to go back to sleep for fear of his demons catching him, the rain would keep him company and soothe his worries away as he would sit in the windowsill.

He hadn't liked thunder and lightning very much though- the distant rumble of thunder was okay, but he hated the booming crashes that seemed to shake the land itself. Besides, the rain seemed to offer a calm when they all just sat in the tent. Camping sucked when it rained, but when he had Prompto's shoulder bumping against his own while the group played Kings Knight- when it was warm and the four of them didn't need to worry about anything- that was when he felt almost...normal.

Eventually though, Noctis set aside his empty plate and put his phone away, just...listening to the rain and thinking.

The quiet that the tent had fallen into after they had finished eating was heavy and warm, the opposite of the weather outside. Prompto liked rain as a noise, it soothed him to sleep after nightmares, but being out in it? No thanks. Still, when it rained on this trip he had to admit he loved it. It gave the gunner an excuse to curl up near or on Noct, and just relax, a rare opportunity nowadays.

"You sure you didn't hurt your leg anymore after falling Prompto?"

"Hmm?" He glanced up from his phone and his spot against Noct, blinking,

"Nah dude, my legs fine." A grin stretched across his face, "Soon my useless ass will be up again, saving your sparkly ass from killer creatures." Gladio snorted at that and gave a good natured nudge to Prom,

"Keep saying that skinny, those killer creatures'll get ya."

Noctis had snorted softly after Prompto's statement about saving his ass.

"Yeah? Pretty sure my 'sparkly ass' was the one that rescued your ass after your leg got stomped on." He smirked a bit, bumping Prompto's arm with his own before settling down and leaning against his friend a bit.

They all laughed, then Ignis added,

"So long as it isn't hurting tomorrow, I see no reason why one more potion won't heal you right up." Prom grinned and cheered.

It was a good night to be alive.


	3. In which Snakes attack and Love Blooms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to recreate the Princess and the Frog

It had been a week since the Garula fight. Noctis could remember it clearly, even as they made their way to the final rune. Prompto's leg had been fine after all- the potion he had had the day after had fixed it right up for the most part, though they still encouraged him to take it as easy as necessity would allow. 

To be free of the cast was exhilarating - Prompto could move again! - and he took complete advantage of it by being a bubbly mess. The others had been worried about him hurting himself, but that just made him laugh and smile at their worry, lightly teasing.

The journey to the final rune had been a long one, but Noctis was more than ready to end the rain for everyone, and as he approached the entrance to the location of the last runestone.

"So this is Fociaugh Hollow? It's covered with rocks, so I don't know how we're gonna get-" As he approached, he was forced to practically leap back- nearly bumping into Prompto in the process, as a large lightning strike shattered the rocks covering the entrance.

Prompto jumped a bit, catching Noct by the shoulders and yelping when the lighting struck, clearing the way.

Nocts narrowed his eyes, slowly heading towards the dungeon.

"…Guess Ramuh is feeling generous." He looked back, making sure everyone was ready for whatever lay within, then he went inside. "I've got bad feelings about this…"

"Wait, we are gonna just ignore the divine lighting strike?!" His voice was high pitched but dammit, lighting nearly hit them! Of course Gladio gives him a playful shove and sends them into the cave. They literally had only walked maybe twenty feet when they were attacked by glowing purple balls and imps.

"Dammit!" Prom jumped back and summoned his gun starting to fire and cover the others backs while Gladio, Noct and Ignis attacked.

Noct was quick to summon his engine blade when the imps showed up.

"Watch yourselves guys, no clue what those purple daemons are, but they look nasty!" He took off in a sprint, slicing through imps and trying to stay away from the purple orbs- they've never encountered those before. Eventually though, he came to realize _exactly_ what they did.

Before Noctis quite knew what had happened, he was surrounded by them, and right as he tried to slice his way through, he felt horrible, burning, searing pain ripping and coursing through his body as his knees buckled and sent him to the ground. He was twitching and in pain as he righted himself in jerky motions, hair standing on end as he rushed one of the enemies and started slicing- he was determined to make sure that his companions didn't have to get zapped like that.

There was a split second of horror from Nocts companions once they realized exactly what those purple balls did. Ignis and Gladio had been on the outskirts of the attack and were also hit, but Prompto was clear.

"Guys!" There were 8 very loud pops, one gliding right by Nocts face to the one in front, and the balls shriveled into blackness, leaving a panting Prompto in view. Shit, that was close.

"PLEASE tell me we won't have to deal with more of those things." He whined, hopping down and jogging to Noct as Gladio killed the last imp. He checked on his best friend as Ignis came over.

Noctis was still twitching a little bit and jerkily trying to smooth down his hair- he smelled like something got burnt really. There was static electricity practically /dripping/ off of him- one could feel it just by getting close.

"Agreed." Grunted Ignis, "That was worse than one of Nocts thunder spells." Ignis handed the Prince a potion.

Noct broke the bottle and let out a sigh of ecstasy like relief as it washed over him and soothed him of the twitchy, horrid feeling. After a moment, he felt a vague stinging in his mouth, and he touched his tongue and looked at his finger, wincing.

"Bit my tongue because of that. It almost felt like a seizure." Still, he was fine, and headed down the tunnels with a soft sigh, glancing over at Prompto and nodding a silent 'thank you' for taking care of the thunder bombs.

"Noted, we need to avoid them if possible." Muttered Ignis, following after Noct with Prom and Gladio bringing up the rear, while Prompto gave a silent thumb up in return.

While they walked, Noctis occasionally picked up random little treasures and trinkets that he spotted in the darkness. Mostly fossil wood really, but he also found an Oracle ascension coin.

After a bit of fighting with some imps, he even found an accessory that could prove useful.

"Man, why are there so many imps in here…?”

Prompto glanced around a bit nervously and jumped every time those damn imps dropped from the ceiling. Seriously, he was glad that his gun seemed to run on magic - or Noct had dumped three armies’ worth of ammunition into the armiger - because he was flying through bullets.

"I don't know man, but shit they're annoyi..." He was cut off by a strange noise echoing through the cave, causing him to move closer to Gladio, then scurry up to Noct and Ignis, grabbing them by the shoulders.

"Guys, wait... what was that sound?" Gladio and Ignis glanced around as the hissing sound came again, sounding like a strangled, ‘ **My baby** ’ Prompto shuddered, but curiosity over took him.

Noctis stopped, listening closely when Prompto mentioned a noise, though he furrowed his brow when he heard the noise.

"It's probably not something we wanna check out Prompto."

He waved the others ahead and walked slowly towards a half blocked tunnel he could've sworn the sound came from... but nothing was there.

When his friend waved Noct and the others ahead, he sighed and obeyed, figuring the poor guy wanted to clear his fears away before continuing.

"Huh, nevermin... waaaaah!" A loud hiss almost drowned him out as something grabbed him and he was yanked through the dark hole.

When he heard a soul wrenching scream come from the hole, however, his eyes widened, and he ran back over to the hole- would have dove through it if Gladio hadn't grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Prompto!? Prompto answer me!" He swore under his breath when he got no response, and he knew he didn't even have to tell Ignis and Gladio that they had better move quickly.

Prompto was in danger, and Noctis wouldn't leave him to die- not after coming close to losing him before. They broke out into a massive cavern, and that was where all hell seemed to break loose as enemies came from all directions. The entire time he began fighting, Noctis let out shouts of Prompto's name, hoping to hear even the simplest reply back.

Snakes, why the hell did it have to be a giant Snake?!

Prompto shouted as much out into the cavern as he was hauled away. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was screeching the entire time the thing had him, yet surprisingly, it hadn't hurt him yet. Hell, when he finally got away from it, the thing didn't chase him. Thanking the six for small blessings.

Now though he was stuck in the middle of a daemon infested cavern and nowhere near his friends. Shit. Slowly he fought his way through the daemons until he could hear Noct. By that time he was in range enough to hit a mindflayer that was sneaking up on the prince and sprint over, ending up back to back with his friend.

"Hey man, miss me?" He grinned and kept shooting, helping finish off the last of the daemons.

"Ooh boy, fuck snakes."

When Noct saw Prompto and the last of the daemons were killed off, his relief was insurmountable. Ignis and Gladio were off near the other side of the cavern and coming towards them now, so Noctis took his chance to grab Prompto by the shoulders and give him a once over to make sure he wasn't hurt.

"Shit...thank the Six. That's it, you're a trouble magnet when you're alone. You're sticking to me like fucking paste, got it Prompto?" His eyes were narrowed, but the worry in them was clear, even as Gladio and Ignis regrouped with them.

Prompto shouldn't have been surprised by Noct grabbing him and checking him over, but like always, he was. Prom still found it kind of hard to believe that Noct actually cared about him. Sheepishly he nodded and scratched the back of his head. "

Alright, I'll stick closer than paste, promise Noct." He reached out and rested his hand on Noct shoulder, trying to soothe the Princes worry. Both Ignis and Gladio expressed their concern about him, but he just waved them off with a smile.

"Seriously, I'm just a bit spooked. It didn't hurt me."

Eventually, Noctis let out a sigh.

"Okay...let's keep going. What did you mean by a snake by the way? Is that what grabbed you?"

Prompto shuddered a bit at Noct's question.

"Yeah, it's a huge snake, with a human torso. Like," he held out his arms as wide as he could, "It's torso was this big and could've bitten me in half. It looked like a weird, twisted human female with a snake body instead of legs." Gladio and Ignis looked mildly disturbed.

"Well, we best avoid it if possible on our way in." Concluded Ignis, motioning them to go forward. Noct frowned at the thought of what that odd creature might look like, but eventually he just nodded in response to Ignis' statement, moving forward as directed.

Prompto nodded as well and moved close to Noct, fingers of his left hand lightly gripping Noct's coat as they headed towards another open cavern after slipping through some tight stone. 

Prompto gripping Nocts jacket was quite reassuring really- he had his friends back, just as Prompto had his, and that was all he could ever ask for.

Eventually, after wandering around and picking up interesting little items while they searched, they came across a split path. He took the one to the right, coming across a locked door. Frowning, Noctis ran one hand slowly over it, feeling the texture underneath his fingers.

"Wonder how you open this...we've seen a few locked doors just like this in other places like this."

"Yeah, don't know..." Prom muttered, not letting go of Noct as they got away from the door.

Noct let the question hang in the air before moving out and on to the next pathway- or he tried to, anyway.

Of course, that's when the giant ass Snake daemon thing appeared, causing Prom to squeal in fear and let go of Noct.

"That's the thing that grabbed me!"

Noct shivered as the thing hissed in the Princes face - her voice was almost accusing as she demanded to know where **'her baby'** was. 

"I...I don't know where your baby is." Even as he spoke, he slowly moved his hand, preparing to summon his blade, but his slow movements turned into fast ones as she practically screeched, spraying poison at him. It hit, though he was quick to wipe it from his eyes with a pained grunt and give a slash of the sword in retaliation.

The battle was on.

Prompto had hid a bit behind Noct, concerned when the other man got hit by poison, but quickly moved out of the way and went to range to shoot at it.

Of course, that's when shit went pair shaped.

The snake Daemon huffed a cloud of sickening green smoke at Gladio and Ignis, the two closest and...

"What the hell?! did they just turn into _Frogs_?!" Prompto panicked and dashed into the fight at close range, shooting the entire time. He grabbed his two froggy friends and carried them behind a rock, climbing on top to protect them.

"NOCT! got anything that'll reverse this weird ass shit?!" Why, why, _why_ did this snake thing have weird transformation abilities?

Noctis was fighting as hard as he could when he saw green smoke that turned Ignis and Gladio into frogs, a gasp escaping him when he watched Prompto grab them and run up to a rock.

"Shit! Prompto-look for any Maiden's kisses, I think we have...two maybe?" He hadn't thought they needed them! They seemed pretty useless in the grand scheme of things. How would he have known that his friends would get turned into fodder for frog legs?

Maiden's kiss? When the fuck did a kiss become medicine? As much as he wanted to, Prompto didn't question the order and began frantically searching for the medication, occasionally providing cover fire for Noct. He found two and cracked them over Gladio and Ignis, sighing in relief when it worked.

He continued slashing at the beast woman, slashing at scaly skin. Suddenly, he felt said scaly skin wrapping around him and _squeezing_ so hard he couldn't breathe- strangled gasps escaping him as the monster sprayed him with green smog.

Gladio and Ignis reoriented themselves but quickly let out alarmed yells when they saw Noct getting squeezed.

Before Noct knew what was happening, he felt much slimier, much smaller, and he was letting out distressed ribbits and hopping away from the massive snake.

Prompto whipped around at the older mens yells, just in time to watch Noct shrink.

"Noct!" He fired at the Snake, making it reel back enough to allow Gladio to attack it. Prom ran forward and scooped the frog-prince up in his hands, darting back to his rock hiding place. Ignis joined Gladio, yelling back,

"Use a maidens kiss or wait a few minutes for it to wear off!" Prom wanted to use a maidens kiss, but they were completely out. Groaning, he cradled the frog to his chest and pressed an absent minded kiss to the top of its head.

"Hang on buddy, gonna have to chill as a frog for a few minutes..." He began shooting every weak point he could spot, a bit freaked out by his best friend being a frog.

Noct had let out a startled ribbit when he was grabbed, wiggling about in mild fear until he realized it was Prompto holding him, and he wiggled a bit when he felt Prompto's lips against the top of his head, settling down soon after.

Prompto's kiss had been so…warm, even considering the fact that he was a cold blooded amphibian. He let out a ribbit of concern, setting his webbed toes on Prompto's knee.

After a minute or two, he felt a little strange, and before he quite knew what was happening, he suddenly found himself fully grown and human- as well as sprawled over Prompto's lap.

Prompto hadn't thought holding Noctis through very well, as when his friend turned back, he ended up sat on the rock he was shooting from, flailing a bit.

"Finally! Thanks Prompto!" He took off towards the fight again, trying to stay careful in his efforts to not get poisoned or sprayed again.

The change caused Promptos shot to go wide, but it still hit the snake. He watched as Noct shot off into the fight with amusement and a pale blush.

"No problem man! Stay clear of that cloud!"

He went back to shooting the thing, and darting in and out whenever one of his friends got hit by the frog cloud. After about the third or fourth time, he couldn't help but laugh at Gladio, who flipped him off and darted back into the fight.

"Have y'all not figured out how to keep away from a cloud?!" Prom teased, shooting the beast in the arm to clear the way for Noct.

Noctis couldn't help but roll his eyes when the other laughed at them for getting turned into frogs, and he snorted as he slashed at the she daemons face.

"Not all of us can fight from a mile away Prompto!" That's when it happened. Noctis' blade sunk deep into flesh, and he heard a loud cry of **'My Baby!** '

Prompto stuck his tongue out at his friend while he covered him, scoring a hit through the shoulder and face at the same time Noct's blade sunk deep into its flesh.

At first Noct was smiling-they’d won!

But then he was coughing and spluttering as a cloud of gas enveloped him, choked him, filled his lungs until he thought he might pass out…

When his sight and breathing returned, he was back to his froggy form again, and he let out and indignant ribbit as he hopped his way over to Prompto with frog like speed. Bracing himself, he jumped from rock to rock until he could land on Prompto's shoulder and stare everyone in the eyes.

Prompto had been grinning until he saw the green smog again, but held off his panic enough to land several rounds through the Snakes unprotected mouth. The thing staggered and fell as Noct landed on Prompto’s shoulder, causing all of them to stumble a bit to keep their footing.

"Dammit Noct, you're a frog again." teased Prompto as Gladio jogged over to make sure the thing was dead. Carefully the Gunner reached up and ran a hand over Nocts slightly wet skin, glancing at Ignis.

"What are we going to do? We don't have any maiden's kisses left..." Ignis hummed and glanced about, Gladio coming back over.

"We shall continue forward for now to the Rune. Hopefully it will wear off by then." There was a grunt from Gladio who smirked at Frog-Noct.

"Well, looks like you need a prince to kiss you, Frog-Princess." Prompto smiled and hid his laughter, carefully scooping Noct off his shoulder to hold to his chest protectively.

"Prompto, how did he change back so quickly last time?" Prompto blinked, and glanced down at the frog cradled in his hands.

"I'm... not sure."

Noctis let out a ribbit of annoyance when he saw Gladio's smirk, though were he a human, he would have given one as well.

Wiggling his way out of Prompto's grasp and climbing and hopping back onto his shoulder, he sprung off and clung to Gladio's clothes, working his way up so he could stare the behemoth of a man in the face.

He blinked, then hopped up and settled his wet body on top of Gladio's head, letting out a victorious froggy noise. Still, he had to think about how he had changed back the first time.

Settling down and shutting his transparent eyelids, he breathed deeply trying to think and occasionally shifting on top of Gladio's head. It was actually really warm up there. Warm and like being surrounded by furry animals since the man had a mane to rival a chocobo's feathers.

Looking down at Prompto, he let out a ribbit, gesturing towards the entrance to where he knew the rune had to be.

Prompto laughed as Gladio swatted halfheartedly at the prince, looking a bit grossed out.

"Looks like he enjoys your fluffy hair!" He crowed, dancing out of the bigger mans reach. The ribbit caught his attention and he glanced towards the path.

"That way right buddy? Let's go!" He started off, almost skipping and whistling that tune about chocobos again.

Ignis shook his head slightly and headed off, Gladio taking up the rear and shaking his head slightly in a mild effort to dislodge his slimy prince.

Noctis let out a hearty ribbiting noise when Gladio's annoyance became apparent, especially when he saw the amused and exasperated look on Ignis' face to go along with it.

Frog though he may be, he was still their prince and he would _make_ them respect him when his ego called for it. Still, the head shaking was annoying, so he slapped a slimy foreleg against Gladio's forehead- the big bastard knew he deserved it, too- in an effort to keep his balance.

"Gladio, be careful with Noct!" Prompto called from up front, grinning a bit, "He hits the floor and we'll be having frogs legs for Dinner." The big man scoffs at that and jogs forward, taking the lead,

"Right like you wouldn't be sobbing over your poor prince meeting a delicious end." Prompto stuck his tongue out, blushing a bit. Jeez, why did he have to keep making references to that old story?

Noct croaked loudly at the mention of being turned into roasted frog legs- he knew Ignis would probably make him into the best damn dish ever to grace Eos, but it wasn't an end he would look forward to.

Suddenly, he saw the metaphorical and literal light at the end of the tunnel. There it was! The last rune was right there, and he hopped down from his perch on Gladio to make his way towards it, only to stop and croak softly in annoyance.

He placed a foreleg on the runestone...nothing. Turning to his friends, he hopped one, twice, trying to make them aware that they had a serious problem right about now.

The others hurried forward when Noct leapt off, stopping to watch as the frog tried to get the Rune to activate. Nothing.

Prompto squirmed a bit and glanced at Ignis and Gladio,

"It's cause he's a frog right?" Ignis nodded thoughtfully,

"It would appear so. After all, the Gods can hardly make a contract with a frog." Gladio was snickering now, finding the entire situation hilarious.

Prom glared at him before walking over to the rune and kneeling down, offering his hands to Noct.

Noctis hopped into Prompto's hands willingly, also thinking of a solution to their problem. The more time they wasted, the stronger the empire got and the more the people of Lucis would suffer. Prompto gave voice to his concerns, standing with the Prince cupped in front of him,

"Well, what do we do? We gotta turn him back somehow, but if we leave, the daemons will respawn and we'll lose more time!"

Ignis was deep in thought and even Gladio was thinking of what to do. Prom lifted Noct so the small frog was eye level with him, only a few inches from his face.

"We'll figure something out, though I'm at a loss..."

After a long moment, Noct let his memory drift back to when he had turned into a frog before.

He had been snatched up by Prompto, they had sat on a rock for safety, he remembered feeling Prompto's warm, soft lips against his cold skin, he had changed back a minute or so later…

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and let out a loud croak, adjusting his stance as though he was slamming a fist on a surface.

The loud croak startled all of them, and Prompto had to force his instincts down to keep from tossing Noct, though you couldn't tell with how steady his hands were.

Had Noct not been a frog, his face would be flushed at the thought of what he had to do. Looking at Prompto, he ribbited, lifting a foot and placing it on Prompto's face, just below his lips as Noctis stared hard into his eyes, wishing he could just _tell_ him what to do instead of using gestures.

"It seems Noctis has reached an answer." Mused Ignis, watching as Noct placed a foot on Proms face. Gladio stepped closer with a raised eyebrow, only to start laughing again. Prompto just looked confused, matching Nocts stare.

"Wha... Oh!" He flushed when he realized what Noct was implying, barely able to glare at Gladio as the big man chortled about ‘Frog princesses having to kiss a prince.’ Great, this wasn't embarrassing at all. Though now that he thought about it, hadn't he absently kissed his friend last time? He gave a sheepish smile to Noct as he brought him closer.

"Sorry buddy." Prom then placed a light kiss between the frogs eyes, pulling away afterwards and stroking the animals back, going back to glaring at Gladio and Ignis. Gladio was laughing and Ignis had a knowing smile.

Noctis just ribbited his consent at the apology, closing his transparent eyelids when Prompto kissed his…forehead? He supposed that that's what it was.

Nonetheless, he wiggled out of Prompto's grasp so he didn't land on the guy again, absently sitting down and waiting. Sure enough, a minute or two later, he felt a tingling sensation running through his body, and a flash of light enveloped him-momentarily blinding his companions.

When it faded, Noctis was standing at his full height and form once again, and he took the first chance he had to whack Gladio over the head for being a smartass.

"Hope you enjoyed all that frog slime in your hair Gladio. You know it's never gonna come out either." He then turned to Prompto, grinning just a bit.

"Good job. Thanks for that, Prompto. Now we can finally get rid of this damned rain."

"No problem man! Now do your glowy eye thing" Prom crowed, grinning at his friend and hip checking him.

Gladio, out of sight of the younger two, gave an exasperated look to Ignis. Seriously, were they both that blind? The advisor merely pushed his glasses up and watched as Noct approached the Rune.

Prompto had to admit, the idea of Noct being touched by lighting worried him, as surely it had to hurt? Still, the actually kinda liked the glowing purple that showed up in the Prince's eyes every time they came to one of these runes. It was fascinating.

Honestly, every time Noct touched one of those runes, it felt like an out of body experience and he didn't like it too much. He would grow stock still and stiff as a corpse, just staring and occasionally mouth words silently while his eyes glowed a sharp lavender-pink.

He heard what Gentiana had to say in the flashback before blinking hard and swaying a bit as he came back to his body, then he shook his head and rubbed at this eyes, nodding solemnly to his friends.

Once Noct had finished getting the Rune, Prompto slung an arm around his friend, nudging him as they left the dungeon.

"How'd it feel?"

He was quiet for a while, even after Prompto's question, though after they neared the entrance, he spoke.

"It was...weird. I was there, but I wasn't. It was just...memories that I had to experience again."

Out of slight concern for the lack of response at first, Promptos arm moved from around Nocts shoulders to his waist, placing the Princes arm around his own shoulders. The grip was firm, but not really holding any weight, just there.

"They weren't… bad memories were they?" He asked with concern. He knew that Noct had some unpleasant memories from his childhood, but hopefully they weren't.

"No, nothing unpleasant. It's just...weird. Imagine seeing your memories playing out like a movie, and you're the main character. You try to respond with something different, but...your mouth moves for you."

Upon stepping out, Gladio whistled in concerned awe,

"That's a huge ship..." An enormous ship passed over head, right as Nocts phone rang. The Prom and the others glanced at the sky, then at Noct, waiting for him to answer.

As they stood there, Prom had a moment to think about the last week or so. He had been actively pushing any and all embarrassing happenings aside, but the whole frog debacle had brought it forward again. All analysis in his head concluded one thing; he had an enormous, embarrassing _crush_ or was in love with his best friend.

One that was straight and supposed to be getting married. or was going to get married. Was that still going to happen? Prom was so lost in thought he didn't notice when Noct was done on the phone, nor that he himself was blushing and frowning.

When Nocts phone rang and he answered to see who was calling, his eyes widened a bit. Huh...well, that was both useful and terrible information. He listened and occasionally spoke, small 'uh huh's', 'seriously's?' and 'Got it's' coming out of his mouth before he said goodbye and hung up.

"I have great news and bad news. The great news is that Cindy found the Regalia and that it's probably in perfect condition. The bad news..." He grimaced and turned to look each of his companions in the eye.

"Our car is at an imperial base. That ship we just saw? I think it's heading there now."

Prompto snapped out of his thoughts at that, gaping at Noct. Gladio wasn't much better off.

"Are you kidding?"

Prompto groaned.

"How are we gonna get her back now?!" Ignis hummed and motioned for them to follow over to the chocobos by the entrance. 

"We should go stock up on curatives, then make our way to the nearby campsite and devise a strategy." Gladio and Prompto nodded, the latter walking with Noct back to the Chocobos and hopping on. 

It didn't take long to stock up and make their way to the campground, where Gladio was quick to set up camp. Ignis cooked them a meal and handed out the food as they sat in the chairs, the sun still sitting high in the sky. It was only about 3 pm.

"Right, we cannot fight an entire base ourselves. We must sneak in under the cover of darkness." Prompto nodded in agreement and glanced at Noct. They needed to be careful, no point in someone getting hurt again. Ignis began outlining the plan, detailing what each member was to do.

Noctis listened carefully to everything that Ignis had to say after the phone call. They all knew that Spec's was the strategist of the group- he was privy to the title of Royal Adviser for a damn good reason.

Still... once they were stocked up and situated at the camp outside of the Imperial base, Noctis pursed his lips. The plan once they got inside, it seemed, was for him to go with Ignis while Prompto and Gladio went a separate way, then to meet up once they found the Regalia.

"I don't like the idea of having to split up but...you haven't made a bad plan yet Ignis. Let's do it." He took a bite of his meal and sat back, glancing over at Prompto, then at Gladio.

"What do you guys think though?"

Gladio huffed a bit and stretched,

"I don't like it much either, but it works for what we need." He waved a hand at himself and Prompto. "I'm too big to sneak well and Blondie there will give everything away by either tripping or firing that gun."

Prompto grinned and chucked a potato chunk at him with an indignant, "Hey!" but agreed. Still, the plan sounded like a million things could go wrong, and what happened if something happened to Noct and Iggy while they were inside? Gladio and Prompto would be unable to get to them... He sighed a muttered,

"I wish I had a sniper and silencer..." before shaking his head and glancing at Noct. "I'm fine with it, just... be careful? Both of you. There's no way for us to get to you if something goes pear shaped..."

Noctis nodded, solemn once more.

"Yeah…you guys stay safe too alright? If Specs and I have to rescue your asses I'm never letting you live it down." He bit down the last of his food before setting the plate down and sighing softly.

"So... once we get the Regalia back…we should probably make our way back to Lestallum and check in with Iris. Bet she'd have some words to say about us running off to kill the Titan." It was a small attempt at humor. Really, Noctis just wanted to fill the silence that had fallen over the camp with the rather serious discussion. That was Prompto's area of expertise though, not his.

Sensing what Noct was trying to do, Prompto chuckled,

"Oooh yeah, especially to you and Gladio. After all, you two were the ones who fell _into_ the damn hole first." He set his finished plate aside and pulled out his camera, checking it over carefully.

"Can you imagine the shots we could get in Lestallum? And that dude that _pays_ for my pictures!" It made him giddy that someone wanted to actually _buy_ his photos. He knew they were good, but never that good.

Ah, Noct had almost forgotten about Vyv. At first the man had rubbed him the wrong way, especially after he had found out that the guy knew who he was, but eventually Vyv had managed to enter the groups good graces with his almost unbelievable rewards for the pictures they took.

"He does pay a ton for your photo's. The last one you took for him, near the Rock of Ravatogh, I'm pretty sure he paid 15000 gil for it. That was enough to buy us food and potions for a long time."

Prompto paused for a moment and grinned at his camera.

"Heh, I forgot I took these pictures." Prompto motioned for the others to gather round, grinning when both Ignis and Gladio made indignant noises.

It was a photo of the two right as they were turned human again from the frog spell. The two were tangled together as there hadn't been much room behind the rock. Other shots showed various fights throughout the dungeon.

When they settled down to look at the photographs, a calm seemed to wash over the group, as they occasionally commented on particularly good shots during battles and such. Noctis and Ignis tended to get just a little exasperated when Prompto took photos in the middle of battle, but it was obvious that they found it impressive.

In a few photos, Prompto had managed to catch Noct mid warp take-off or landing. These shots had Noct illuminated by crystalline shards, looking almost divine.

"Beautiful..." the word slipped out of Prompto unconsciously, not noticing the look that Gladio and Ignis shared.

When Noct saw the picture of himself, and heard the word 'beautiful' slip out of his friend, his cheeks fired up to a faint but clear pink, and he shifted just a bit, oddly pleased but decidedly not commenting on it. He did see the look that Gladio and Ignis shared, and he silently willed them not to say anything.

One of the last photos they came upon was a photo of a familiar green frog, and got a snicker from Prom. It was Noct, settled in Gladios hair. Gladio growled good naturally and reached for the camera, which caused Prompto to get up and dart away.

"Oh no you don't, this is going in the 'embarrassing photo' file!" He crowed, laughing when Gladio came after him.

"Embarrassing photo file?" mused Ignis, eyebrow up. Prompto flashed him a grin before yelping and ducking under Gladios arms, causing the larger man to fall a few feet off the platform.

"Of course! where do you think all the embarrassing and awkward photos of you all go?"

He had seen the photo of his froggy self and had chuckled good naturedly while Gladio chased him about in his efforts to snatch up the camera. He didn't mind it one bit considering the fact that there was no evidence besides word of mouth that the frog was him.

"Try not to kill Gladio Prom, but you might wanna run. Gladio's reputation is at stake with that photo, and it would sure be a shame if his sister got to see him with a frog on his head."

Noctis did have to admit- he made an awesome looking frog. Vibrant green and smug looking. He settled down into the chair and watched Prompto run about, face still a bit pink as he thought of Prompto's words and of the soft feeling of the others lips.

"Ooh, Iris would love this pho... yikes!" Gladio had gotten back up and was chasing Prompto again. Unfortunately for the big man, Prompto was faster and far nimbler and flexible, as demonstrated when he shot up a tree and hung upside down, just out of reach of Gladio.

Gladio jumped at him but eventually gave up, stomping over to Noct and Iggy good naturedly.

"Noct, your friend is a goddamn monkey or contortionist." Prompto chuckled at that and waited a few moments before hopping down. Ignis took this as a chance to tell them to get some rest before dark, so they would be prepared to fight. Prom nodded and waved cheerily, heading into the tent. Inside Prom sighed softly and laid down on his sleeping bag, right next to Nocts.

When Prompto had come down and they decided to go to bed, Noctis was quick to head inside. He had never objected to sleep- it was a well-known fact that he was a late riser in the mornings, and would only get up early on rare occasions or when the nightmares got to be too much to allow him to go back to sleep.

Prompto began idly flipping through his photos, smiling softly at the memories. Damn, one of these days he was going to need to get a high speed and ask Noct to warp for him, so he could choose the shot.

Before long, Noctis heard his companions join him, and after a long while, he heard Gladiolus' and Ignis' breathing even out, indicating that they were sound asleep.

He needed some time to think about...things with a certain blonde next to him. He quietly and carefully crawled out of the tent, sitting by the slowly dying fire and warming his hands as he sat in one of the chairs. He was...he wasn't sure what he was or what he felt around Prompto.

Noct _liked_ being around Prompto as often as he could. Prompto could get him to laugh, and Prompto offered comfort when things were bad. And when Prompto had gotten hurt, a part of Noctis had very nearly died for him. He raised a hand to his cheeks, feeling that they were warm when he thought about what Prompto's lips would feel like now that he was human.

Prompto had fallen into a light doze by the time the others joined him, but it wasn't heavy enough to notice that Noct had crawled out. Plus, he was never good at sleeping when the sun was still out, even if it was starting to set.

So, he carefully climbed out of the tent and looked around, camera still around his neck. Noct was by the fire, staring at the flames. Quietly he made his way over and knelt next to Noct, silently watching the flames with his friend.

The quiet pop of the embers caused Noctis to stir a bit, and he heard Prompto sitting down next to him. It was comforting really. Sure, it made his heart beat a little faster when he realized he and Prompto were alone out here, but that meant that Noctis wasn't alone with his thoughts.

Prompto wasn't sure what was on his mind, but something told him the Prince needed to think.

He did too.

While he had accepted somewhat he clearly liked, probably loved, the prince, there was no clear reason why. When did it go from the love of friendship to actual love? The times Noct let him stay the night because it was too lonely to go home to an empty house? The one who put up with him at his most excited or lowest these last five/six years? Or when he got hurt and Noct took care of him? The kissing the 'frog - prince' certainly didn't help.

Before long, Nocts thoughts started to drift into darker territory. His home, his dad, his engagement...all gone. What would life be like even if they managed to get the crystal back? Noctis knew he was the 'chosen king,' but despite the legends, what could he do that would make this world better again?

It was times like these that he craved Luna's advice. He didn't love her any more than he loved Ignis and Gladio, but he still cared deeply for her, as he knew she did for him...was she even still alive? The book from Umbra said it was so, but it had been awhile since they received the book, so who knew?

Prompto glanced up at Noct, wanting to say something, but noticed that the others eyes had darkened and looked sad. It was a far too familiar look these days while on the road. Prom counted himself lucky, he hadn't really lost much when Insomnia fell, but knew that Noct had lost just about everything. Still, there was nothing he could say that could make this better for the Prince.

Noctis shivered softly, visibly, tugging his jacket around himself as a chill ran up his spine, eyes darkening with his thoughts.

At the shiver, Prom scooted closer to the chair and a bit in front of it, allowing his head to rest on Nocts knee, one hand lightly resting against his friends’ shin in silent comfort.

It was a bit odd to be down here, in a position that let whoever was above him have power, but he was comfortable and wanted to comfort Noct as best he could without speaking or standing. He turned and tilted his head a bit so that he could see Nocts face, offering him a soft smile.

When Noct felt Prompto leaning on his knee, he smiled, soft and sad though it was. He reached a hand up and rested it on Prompto's head, ruffling the hair there gently and letting a deep breath.

After a long moment, he slipped down and out of the chair, shutting his eyes and leaning his head against Prompto's shoulder.

Prompto wrapped his arms around his prince when he slipped to the ground, resting his head on Nocts. It was quiet, the other two asleep and nothing around him. The fire had long since died, but that was no worry, with there still being warmth from the slowly setting sun.

Nocts breathing was slow and soft as he just enjoyed the warmth of having his best friend next to him. Gladio and Ignis, when they were this close, made him feel protected, but Prompto made him feel needed. Wanted even. He knew that Prompto _wanted_ to be here with him.

Having Noct next to him felt nice, it made Prompto feel wanted. Gladio was the best fighter he'd ever seen, and Ignis was a genius, and both had known Noct forever. These quiet moments they rarely had were precious to him, and Prompto was in no hurry to stop.

After a long, long moment, Noct eventually spoke with a soft murmur.

"...Thanks...for being here Prompto. I know you're risking a lot being here with us."

Hesitantly Prompto reached up and ran a hand through Nocts hair, humming at the thanks.

"I'm just glad you'll have me, Noct. So long as you and the others are safe, I don't mind the risk." He smiled a bit, continuing to run a hand though Nocts hair.

Noctis hummed softly when he felt Prompto's hand in his hair- he actually adored having his hair played with if he was being honest. It was soothing- it was physical contact that he had craved when he was young but was rarely on the receiving end of.

Maybe it was mild exhaustion after all they had done today, maybe it was him finally giving in after all the emotional distress over the recent past. Whatever the case, Prompto's words calmed and soothed him in a way that nothing else could, and after a long moment, he reached a hand out and rested it on Prompto's free hand.

"...I appreciate it." He gave Prompto's hand a gentle squeeze. "I appreciate Ignis and Gladio, don't get me wrong but...when you think about it...they have no choice but to be here. You _chose_ to be here."

The fingers in Noct's hair stilled for a moment, before continuing their slow stroking. Prompto's smile had widened a bit, not that Noct could see it, and his words made him feel so happy. Lightly squeezing his friends hand, Prompto turned his forehead to rest on Noct's, the angle a bit awkward with the prince still resting on the gunners shoulder.

"There was never option in my mind" he murmured, "Wherever Noct goes, I go." He lifted his head and brushed a soft kiss against the others temple, humming. Any other day, he would've never been so bold. Yet any time Noct was like this, open and vulnerable, he couldn't help but show affection. Prompto twisted a bit so that he basically had Noct in his lap, the gunners own legs on either side of Noct, whispering,

"I'll forever be at your side."

Noct hummed softly when he felt soft lips against his temple, and he let out a soft breath, tension escaping his shoulders as he listened to Prompto's tender words. His heart was beating quickly as he rested against his friend, and after hearing his promise, he just...went for it.

Turning his head so he could face the other properly, he tilted his head and shut his eyes before he brushed his lips over Prompto's, feeling metaphorical fire licking through the veins and loving every second of it. It was like the feeling he had when he had been electrocuted, except he was loving every moment that Prompto's lips were pressed warmly against his own.

That's when he figured it out, a soft, content sigh escaping him as he silently lectured himself for being oblivious. He loved Prompto. He, Noctis Caelum Lucis, technical King of Lucis, was in love with his best friend Prompto. Despite how wrong it was of him to feel this way, he couldn't help but just enjoy the moment here and now.

Of all the things that Prompto had expected to happen today, this was _not_ one of them. He just, _couldn't_ react when he felt Noct press a kiss to his lips, the Prince - king? - sighing in what sounded like contentment.

After about two seconds it occurred to Prompto to actually kiss back.

The hand in Nocts hair stopped and tightened as Prompto moved to kiss Noct better, pulling the other closer. He didn't deepen it, content to just kiss the person he had been crushing on and in love with since high school. A full bodied shudder worked its way down his body, feeling as if Noct had just dumped a shit ton of magic into him, an icy hot sensation that he loved.

The kiss pulled a small sigh from Noct when Prompto kissed back, and he reached a hand up to cup Prompto's cheek with his ungloved hand, slowly stroking his friends cheek with his thumb. It was a simple kiss, and Noctis enjoyed it deeply. It was warm, soft, and simple- everything he had come to associate with Prompto, really.

They had to breathe eventually though, so Prompto pulled away enough to rest his forehead against Noct's, smiling at his best friend reassuringly, though his own eyes didn't hide his own fear of this being a fluke.

When Prompto pulled away, he gave what was quite possibly the gentlest smile that had ever graced his face to Prompto. When he noticed the fear in his friends’ eyes, he leaned up, pressing one more soft kiss to his lips before squeezing his hand gently. He didn't have any words to say.

That...that had been nice. That had been all the reassurance and /comfort/ that Noctis could have ever wanted. His chest felt tight and warm and pleasant.

The soft smile and second kiss reassured that it wasn't a fluke or Noct being a tease towards him. Prompto answered back with a brilliant smile and pulling Noct close to him, holding the prince in a warm, protective embrace.

He could see the tension melting out of Noct. When had he last seen Noct this relaxed? It had been too long... Unbidden his smile became more relaxed. It made him happy that he could help his best friend, and possibly more, like this. Prom pressed a kiss to Nocts hair and temple, whispering,

"Get some sleep, we'll talk after the mission." There was plenty of time once they got the regalia back. Plus, they would be going to an actual hotel after this, where they could have some more privacy.

Noct returned the hug, shutting his eyes and smiling softly, nuzzling gently against his best friend. He stroked Prompto's hair back, murmuring against his skin when he heard what his friend had to say.

"Come with me then. No reason to let you sit out here alone." He stood, helping Prompto up before heading towards the tent, holding his hand softly.

Prom accepted the help and quietly followed the other back into the tent, unable to wipe the smile off his face.

When they slipped into the tent, Noctis laid down in his sleeping bag, shutting his eyes.

After a long moment though, he murmured softly, opening one eye and gazing softly at Prompto. "Prompto? Thanks for tonight."

Prompto laid down in his sleeping bag and turned to face Noct, smiling at his best friends words.

"Any time, Noct" he whispered back, before shutting his eyes and drifting off.


	4. In which things go wrong, then right

When Noctis felt Prompto near him, he slept easy. No dreams, no nightmares, just a deep, blissful rest- the kind that he liked the most.

It felt like he had barely been asleep before he was awoken by Ignis gently shaking him. It was dark outside, and according to his phone, it was about 10:30 at night. 

"Come, it's time to get the regalia back." Prompto stretched a bit and nodded, waving the older man away when he attempted to wake Noct. 

Even as he was just waking up and reluctant to admit so, he knew Prompto was _there_ , and it was rather encouraging.

"I got it Iggy, go get ready with Gladio." Ignis gave him a look but nodded nonetheless, leaving the tent while Prom got up. The gunner did a quick check of his guns, summoning them and dismissing them, before turning to Noct.

Prompto thought he could wake him when Ignis couldn't? How did he expect to manage-

Grinning a bit, Prompto leaned over the sleeping Prince and whispered,

"Gotta get up Noct, the Regalia is waiting." before pressing a kiss to Nocts lips.

A soft sigh escaped Noct when he heard Prompto's voice speaking to him, and when he felt the other's gentle, soft lips against his own, his own lips curled up into a faint smile as he hooked an arm around Prompto's neck to pull him down a bit closer, kissing back languidly. When they broke apart, Noctis was grinning, both eyes open as he sat up and whispered.

"I could get used to waking up to that."

Prompto grinned at Noct's whispered words, kissing him again with a soft laugh.

"Ignis and Gladio will think I'm magical~" Hey, it was absolutely magical, since the love affair Noct had with sleeping was almost legendary, even before they left Insomnia. He straightened out and held a hand out to his best friend? Lover? They really needed to discuss that.

"Come on, it's time to get the car back, and the get to a hotel for once!" He cheered, grinning. Suddenly feeling a bit bold, he grabbed his friend into a hug and pressed a kiss to his pulse point, whispering,

"Once there, we should talk." There was hint of fear in the words, as well as a promise for hopefully good things.

Noct shut his eyes with a thoughtful hum at the kiss and hug, though he opened his eyes with gave the other a soft kiss to the temple when he heard the nervous tones of fear.

"Yeah. That's fine Prompto. We can talk."

Prompto pulled away with a grin and slipped out of the tent. Noct slipped out of the tent after his...significant other, perhaps?

Ignis and Gladio were waiting outside, both reacting with shock when they saw Noct walk out with little fuss.

"Prompto, what the hell did you do? The Princess actually got up without complaining!" laughed Gladio, avoiding the embarrassed swat Prompto aimed when the gunner saw the smirk.

He rolled his eyes and gave Gladio a swat to the shoulder to make up for Prompto's miss when the big guy called him 'Princess' and goaded Prompto.

"Maybe I just like to spite you Gladio, ever think of that?" Still, he stretched and blinked a bit- he may be up, but being awake was a different matter. Yawning slightly, he looked over the imperial base, growing solemn.

"Right…time to get the car back. Ignis, you lead us through the place, like you said."

"Of course." Ignis glanced in the direction of the darkened base, motioning for the others to move closer,

"Noct and I will sneak in first. Gladio and Prompto will act as a rear guard, coming in five minutes after us." Ignis settled a solemn look on Prompto, causing the gunner to tense.

"Prompto, I want you to take one of the MT's sniper rifles after Noct destroys them and snipe anything that isn't us." Prompto gulped a bit and nodded, realizing why he and Gladio were being left behind. Ignis nodded and continued,

"Gladio, you cover Prompto. Noct," He stared hard at the Prince, "It is imperative we are _not_ seen. That means silent sneak attacks and no charging ahead until we are sure you won't be seen." He stood and motioned for everyone to follow to the base, slipping through the shadows, and stopping at the entrance.

Noctis could practically feel the icy tension in the air. One wrong move and it's over for them- all of them...It was unlikely that they would be able to fight their way through an entire bases worth of imperial soldiers, so he made sure to listen and memorize every word of wisdom that Ignis had to offer.

Ignis hid and watched the MT patrol, holding out a hand.

When they got into position, hidden out of sight, Noctis nodded silently when Ignis told him to silently sneak attack the soldiers instead of battling head on. He whispered his confirmation that he understood before crouching like a cat ready to spring.

"Noct. On my signal... Now!"

Steady...steady...he raised his hand, ready to throw his sword, and the second he heard Ignis give the signal, he flung his sword at the unaware MT, warp striking forward and stabbing the sword cleanly into his back and out his chest. He quickly pulled his blade out and looked around, eyes narrow but alert.

There was a hum and nod of approval from Ignis, who waved the others forward before sneaking in the direction of the base.

Prompto quickly scavenged the MT's rifle, wincing as it went into the armiger. He had always been able to feel the weapons and items they put in, and the rifle felt disgusting.

Noctis, at this point, was working off pure instinct. Watch for lights, tread lightly, never leave any one place unwatched for too long, because someone could be lurking and watching. It was nerve wracking at best, and downright terrifying at worst. The goal was to get out before sunrise.

Ignis waved them through the entrance, only to abruptly pull Noct back by his jacket.

"Watch out, search lights." He waited a moment for the light to pass, then continued on, once again pausing behind a shipping crate. In front of them was a huge mech, causing Gladio to let out a breath.

"MT mech, don't want to fight that any time soon...keep down." Prompto nodded and reached out to Noct, squeezing the Princes shoulder lightly as they all snuck further in.

When they saw the MT mech, Noctis released a slow hiss of breath and nodded his agreement in not being keen to battle that beast of a machine. So he continued to creep forward with his friends, keeping his footsteps as silent as a feline hunting in the forest.

Next was a watch tower, with a few MTs around. Gladio and Proms stop. Once again, Ignis waited until all the MT's were in position, then signaled Noct to take them out.

When they came across the watch tower, Noctis nodded and awaited the signal, making sure he actually had the energy to do so much warping. From there, it was almost like watching an assassin in action. Noctis warped from MT to MT, killing them quickly and with deadly precision. When they were dead, Gladio gave Prompto a little nudge.

"Come on, we need to move."

Prompto let out a shaky breath, nodding in agreement and glanced towards Ignis and Noct.

"Be careful." He whispered, before darting forward and scooping up an MT sniper rifle. With a quick glance at Gladio, the gunner ascended the stairs to a watch tower and settled on the platform, mechanically setting up the gun.

He returned the sentiment when Prompto told him to be careful, and he silently watched his friends ascend to the top of a watch tower before he returned his focus to the task at hand.

It felt sickening in his hands, not like his own guns or the rifles he had held back in Insomnia. This one felt... tainted. Shaking himself, he glanced down the sight and began watching and lining up, ready to shoot anything that got too close to Ignis and Noct.

He was vaguely aware of Gladio behind him, but focusing on the man would mean risking his aim.

Ignis watched the gunner and shield dart off, taking a deep breath and heading towards the glowing red gate. There was a key pad, which he expertly disarmed. No one came through, and he couldn't see any MTs, so he motioned Noct forward.

Right, follow Specs, don't get caught. Noct made his way through the gate on Ignis' signal, and carried on. There were several more guards he was forced to assassinate, but he did manage to find a few curative like items in the process, which he supposed was a good thing.

Eventually though, after making their way through the base, they went past another gate. As they were hidden behind a stack of crates, that's when he spotted her- The Regalia. But that wasn't the only thing he saw. He gave a sharp intake of breath at the absolutely /massive/ Magitek Mech there. He whispered, so low it was nearly inaudible.

"I've read about those. The MA-X Maniple- a real daemon of a mech."

Ignis had followed behind carefully and watched his Prince take everything out. When they reached the second open area, he was relieved to see the regalia, only to freeze at Nocts intake of breath. His words made Ignis tense and he let out a soft curse.

"It is inadvisable for us to take this without help, but backtracking would waste time..."

He had just finished speaking when a veritable flood of MTs appeared, attacking from every direction. Well, there goes the element of surprise. He summoned his lance, attacking the first MT he saw. Up in the tower, Prompto tracked the Prince and Ignis until they reached the regalia. He felt like hooting when he saw it, but quickly spotted the Mech and the sudden influx of MTs.

"Shit! Gladio, go! They need your help more than I do!" He shooed the shield away and began picking off MTs with the sniper, taking out any that snuck up on his friends and lover.

When Imperials started flooding in from every direction, Noctis lost himself to battle lust. There was nothing but him, his friends and his enemies. His greatsword was summoned from the Armiger, and he immediately started battering at the mech's leg, knowing he had to take that out, and quickly.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the strength of the machine, and he was swatted off like he was nothing but a fly. Before he quite knew what was going on, Gladio had joined him, and he watched in horror as the machine began firing _missiles_ in their direction. It hit him and Gladio head on, and he let out a yell at the burning explosions- hearing his shield doing the same.

The sight of missiles hitting Noct and Gladio made Promptos heart sink. He wanted to scream for his friend, but bit it back to keep as much of his cover as he could. Praying that they were okay, he began peppering the machine in anger, but didn't forget to pick off any that were after Ignis.

When the smoke cleared and they were able to get back on their feet, Noct and Gladio bashed at the mech's legs, with Noctis taking the time to warp up and destroy the missile systems. He watched the mech fall to one knee as Gladio broke its leg with his massive blade, and Noctis finished it off by destroying the head. He glanced at Ignis, sighing in relief. Looks like Prompto was covering them with the gun.

Noct and Gladio appearing mostly unscathed, albeit with several nasty burns, caused a wave of relief through Prompto. Expertly he picked off the last few MTs before dismissing the gun and hurrying down and over to his friends.

Once there, he grasped Noct by the shoulders, giving him a once over. Ignis had given the Prince a potion before Prompto got there, so there weren't any obvious injuries, but his clothes were torn and he looked like he was almost in stasis.

"Fuck, am I glad you're alright." He breathed in relief, pressing a kiss to Nocts forehead before surveying his other friends.

Everything from that point had been a bit of a rushed blur up until Noct felt Prompto grasping his shoulders and checking him over, and he blinked in surprise when he felt the other kissing his forehead.

Ignis was barely scratched and Gladio had no shirt from it being burned off, but was okay. The potion had cleared up any and all burns, and Noct couldn't help but snicker when he noticed that Gladio's shirt was burned clean off.

"Going all out now, huh Gladio?"

Ignis cleared his throat and glanced towards the sky at the glowing red line.

"We must destroy that magitek generator." He motioned for them to follow quietly towards a still locked gate and opened it, silently mouthing that there were two mechs and a shit ton of MTs waiting. Ignis held a hand up, Prompto dropping to the ground and lining up a sniper shot, then dropped it to signal Noct to warp.

When he heard Ignis clear his throat, he listened carefully before humming and pursing his lips. It would be tricky but...he would do it.

They carried on, and he made his way through the area silently, warping and making his kills when he was told to with precision. The mechs were a bit easier to take out now that they had also gotten rid of the soldiers- the bull rushing technique once Noctis had taken care of the stray MT's was working well- but they still made a lot of noise.

Still, they took care of it without incident, and eventually they came across a splitting path. Noctis opted to check out a little shack he had seen for anything useful, pursing his lips at what they found. "…Huh…hey Prompto, think he can do anything with these?" He held up a pair of warped wings.

Prompto stared at the warped wings for a moment, blinking.

"Huh, I don't see why not. Cindy is a wiz with the car man." He grinned and wrapped an arm around his friend. Who knows what the things could do?

"Wonder if she could make the Regalia fly..that would be pretty cool." He nudged Prompto in the ribs and smiled a bit.

"So, wanna go shut down that generator now?" he had to admit, the glowing red wisps that were everywhere were disconcerting. Ignis hummed in agreement.

"Indeed, we should. Then to the Regalia and out of this unpleasant place." He began leading them to the generator, Gladio walking with the advisor.

Noct nodded at the mention of shutting down the generator.

"Yeah. Let's take it out. Watch my back Prompto."

They started moving, though along the way they took a swift detour, where Noctis found a piece of equipment for Prompto to use- a gravity well. Letting it stay in the Armiger for the time being, he carried on.

Soon, they got to the generator, and all hell broke loose as seemingly endless waves of MT's, Magitek Armors, and mechs began to rain hell upon him and his friends.

"Goddammit, where the hell did all these MTs come from?!" shouted Prompto as he summoned his pistols and began firing at them. He took no time in staggering them for the others, there were too many.

At first he had been fighting back to back with Ignis, then Gladio. At one point he had run up Nocts back to fire into the face of a mech before back flipping away. Mentally he cursed every imperial and asshole he knew, wincing as he used a potion and tossed one to Ignis.

Everything was a fast paced blur to Noctis- block, dodge, attack, block, counterstrike, warp strike, change weapons, and dodge again. Yet for all of his efforts, and for all of his friends efforts, they didn't seem to be making a dent in the flood of imperials nor in the armor of the generator.

Deciding to bug, Prompto shot his way up a tower and began sniping at anything that wasn't dressed in black. He was able to knock out a good few before he was forced to move by an MT sniper, forcing the gunner back into the middle of the fight.

Dammit, he needed to invest in some short range machinery! He ended up tag teaming with Gladio for a moment before a movement caught his eye.

A magitek assassin class, approaching Noct from the Princes blind side. Prom shot at it, but the damn thing was a tank and Noct wasn't going to be able to react in time, not when a mech was about to fire missiles at him.

Taking a deep breath, Prompto sprinted as fast as he could to Noct, tackling him to the ground as the assassin attacked and the missiles fired.

Prompto's world exploded into pain.

Noctis had been ready to block or dodge the missiles that he saw coming for him when it happened- a heavy weight crashed into him, and he heard a blood curdling scream from on top of him. His blood ran cold, and he shivered. He knew that scream- he knew it all too well. It was a scream that he never wanted to hear again after the first accident.

"Prompto!"

The assassin had sliced his back and side, the one on his back almost to bone, and the was burnt badly from the missile, shrapnel peppering his arms, legs, head, and back. The gunner moaned weakly and felt himself slump slightly, barely holding his protective crouch over Noct.

"Y.you, okay...?" He asked, cracking one eye open to give Noct a pained smile, blood dripping down his face and body onto the Princes face and arms.

Noct stared in stunned disbelief at the form of his friend crouched over him, before it registered how hurt the other was.

"Gods…Prompto hang on, I've got you!"

He sat up quickly, dousing Prompto with a hi-elixir and a Hi-Potion before all but dragging his friend to safety against a wall. Prompto would live at least- the potions were generally effective on cuts and burns, but Noctis was starting to feel...desperate.

The moment Noct dumped the medicine on Prompto, the blonde could feel his body collapse against his friend, a soft, pathetic whine leaving him. Even with the Hi-Elixir and Hi-potion, he was aching all over. He was still bleeding sluggishly and the third degree burns were now first degree, and those cuts weren't shallow. The one on his back was still wide open, just not as deep as before, and some of the shrapnel wounds had healed over said shrapnel.

The edges of Nocts vision went red, and he shivered. It almost seemed like electricity was crackling from his fingers as he pulled the Mark of the Fulgurian he had received upon killing the snake Daemon from his pocket. He knew everyone could see him, but all he could think of was that he needed help.

He muttered softly under his breath, almost by instinct, clutching the mark so hard that the sharp edges began to cut into his hand. His eyes were glowing that same, strange purple, and he let out a shout as thunder began rumbling and lightning began to crackle.

A massive hand picked him and his friends up as he watched in awe and shock. Ramuh had come, and Noctis could only watch as the thunder god cast his judgement bolt and struck down on the imperial base, sending everything into a cascading explosion of fire and lightning.

"Noc..." the whisper was soft and unheard as Prompto lay by his friend, barely awake from the pain. When Ramuh lifted them up, Prompto idly noted the purple in Nocts eyes.

Ignis watched in horror as Prompto took hits for Noct, fighting more vigorously. He stopped in shock with Gladio as they were lifted up by Ramuh, watching in awe as a huge bolt of lighting hit the ground, destroying everything that was there. No mechs, no MTs, nothing.

Then it was just...over.

They were back on the ground, and Ramuh was gone, along the every Imperial, every mech, and the generators. The buildings themselves seemed relatively unscathed, but then again, what did that matter.

Noctis dropped to his knees, crouching for just a moment to take a deep breath. "This is the might of the Six…" Soon, he turned to check on his friends as well.

Once everything had cleared, Ignis made his way to Noct, pausing when the Prince stood. "Gladio and I are fine... Prompto." He went over to the gunner, concerned. It didn't look good.

Despite the potions, the movement of Ramuh lifting them up had ripped some of the delicate flesh back open, and the bleeding hadn't really stopped even after Noct had tried to heal him. Nothing seemed broken, though it was hard to tell, as Prompto was nearly unconscious from the pain.

As soon as they had been set down and Noctis had caught his breath, he had bolted over to his friend and crouched by his side, gently lifting his upper half, making sure not to jostle his friend too much.

Prompto blinked when he felt hands on him, trying to move him, and he yelled out, his back making an ominous creaking sound. Perhaps that sword had done more damage than he thought. "Noc...?"

"Prom…you're gonna be okay Prompto...just a little further...you did a good job fighting. You...you saved me Prompto. You did good." Noct slowly stroked Prompto's hair before gesturing for Gladio to come over.

"Careful with him, his spine isn't looking good...do we have anything we can make a stretcher out of?" It took a bit of searching on everyone's parts, though eventually they gathered mythril rods and thick rolls of cloth, creating a makeshift stretcher out the supplies and easing Prompto onto it.

It was odd, being badly hurt. Everything seemed to come through a haze of pain, and nothing was quite right. He could hear Noct talking to him, reassuring him, but Prompto wasn't sure what was being said. There was a moment when no one was around him, then he moaned as Gladio moved him carefully onto the stretcher. It hurt so bad, but at least now he wasn't being moved too much...

Ignis had found four small blocks and some string to rest by Promptos head and waist, using them to keep the gunner still.

It was a unanimous agreement that Ignis and Gladio should carry Prompto, while Noctis took the lead. He made his way slowly towards the Regalia, making sure to take his time, just in case Prompto needed him. They had only just made it to the Regalia when Noctis stopped, causing Gladio to glance over and frown. As they came towards the car though...Noct heard a familiar, and despised, voice.

**Ravus**.

The brother of Lunafreya was walking towards them, sneering. Not liking the look, Gladio quickly placed the stretcher in the back seat with Ignis's help before stepping forward. The prince of Tenebrae sneered and nodded.

"How long has it been, Noctis." Gladio held back a growl as he listened to the two talk for a moment, infuriated by Ravus's down talk towards the Prince.

Noctis hated Ravus, he really did. He didn't give a damn if he was the brother of Luna- the man was a bastard to the core and it was damn near impossible to think that he and Lunafreya shared a bloodline.

"It hasn't been long enough. If I could go a lifetime without seeing a murderous lapdog like you, then that would be perfectly fine with me." His words were sharp and hateful- it was almost shocking even to him to hear those words falling out of his own mouth.

Ravus noticed the lack of a member and raised an eyebrow,

"Oh? There seems to be one less than told." Lunas brother glanced toward the car and smirk. "It seems the King is weaker than I thought, unable to protect one of his own."

What really pushed his buttons was when he started making a joke out of Prompto's injury. Noctis' eyes narrowed, and he summoned forth his blade, more than happy to make Ravus regret his words...but Gladio seemed content to act as his shield and do it for him.

Ravus, for his part, simply sneered before speaking.

"Perhaps you are a king- hiding like a coward behind your shield like this..but so be it." Ravus also drew his sword, and he would have struck at Gladio, but another familiar voice interrupted.

Ardyn, seemingly out of nowhere, addressed Noctis with an almost condescending smile before announcing that the Imperial Army would be pulling out of Duscae. Noctis narrowed his eyes distrustfully, still brandishing his blade.

Ignis was suspicious of the withdrawal, but it was a blessing for them, as they needed to get to the nearest motel to heal Prompto. Stepping forward, he watched as Ardyn led Ravus away from them, Gladio still standing stock still in front of Noct.

Noct watched with the faintest of snarls on his face as Ardyn lead the imperial lapdog away from them. 

Gently Ignis set a hand on Nocts shoulder.

"come, we must get Prompto somewhere safe." He gently steered Noct to the back of the car, handing him a potion to break over Prompto. The Prince would have to ride almost on the floor or back part of the car, as they couldn't risk moving Prom.

Once they were alone and Ignis told him they had to go, Noctis was quick to agree. He had no problem sitting on the floor of the Regalia- it would actually be beneficial to make sure Prompto wouldn't roll off the seat.

Gladio climbed into the front seat as Ignis got in, the advisor looking back once more before driving off, going as fast as he dared to get them to the nearest motel, which turned out to be old Lestallum.

The majority of the ride was spent in worried silence, though eventually he started quietly conversing with Gladio and Ignis about their next move. It was a unanimous decision that they would wait until Prompto was better before going back to Lesallum to meet with Iris.

Prompto had passed out right before he had been put in the car, but woke up about fifteen minutes into the journey, moaning in pain and fear. He didn't know where he was. Last he remembered was leaping on top of Noct...

Noct! Prom tried to sit up but the pain and restraints stopped him. A soft whine left his throat and his eyes searched frantically for his friend/lover, only calming once he realized where the man was and where they were.

"Noct..."

Around the time they decided to go to Old Lestallum, Noctis heard a soft moan and felt movement against his back. His eyes locked with his best friends, and he reached a hand over, resting it gently on Prompto's shoulder.

"Easy Prompto, don't wiggle around so much. You took a hell of a beating, so we're bringing you to Old Lestallum to heal up...how are you feeling, considering that you look a bit like a massacre victim?" His humor was dark, but Gladio did snort softly, reluctantly really, from the passengers seat.

Prompto blinked a bit at Nocts humor, a small grin crossing his lips despite the pain.

"Feel like I got run over by mechs and Garulas."

"That's just about exactly what happened, but replace Garulas with missiles."

Prompto chuckled and carefully bent his arm at the elbow, relieved it didn't do any more than ache. This allowed him to rest his hands on Nocts, taking a deep breath.

"Just glad you weren't hurt." That had been his goal, not to let Noct get skewered or blown up.

Noctis frowned when Prompto mentioned being glad that he was okay. Sure, he was unharmed, but he didn't _want_ to be perfectly fine while his friend got ripped apart in his place.

Gladio grunted from the front seat and glanced back, frowning.

"Don't move Blondie, your back took one hell of a hit. We gotta make sure it doesn't get worse." Ignis hummed in agreement as they zoomed down the road. Gladio's words had Promptos eyes widening and glancing back at Noct. 

Noct saw the moment Prompto realized he might not be as okay as he thought he was, and his breath hitched when Prompto asked him how it was. He really didn't want to vocalize it. It made it seem...real.

"Noct, how bad am...am I?" His voice hitched when the Regalia hit a bump, jarring his wounds.

Giving Prompto's hand a gentle squeeze when the other's voice hitched, he waited a moment before finally talking again. 

"It's...not as bad as it was- the potions helped, but...it's pretty bad. Your back was cut open- almost down to the bone. There were burns everywhere, too. Lots of shrapnel from the missiles..."

Oh…

 ...

Oh.

Proms eyes widened and welled with tears as he realized how damn lucky he was to be alive. He squeezed Nocts hand and took a deep breath. Maybe he shouldn't have asked how bad off he was. At the time it had hurt, sure, but he was mostly relieved that Noct was alive. Now though, he was in pain and it sounded like he wasn't going anywhere for a while. The wounds also explained why he was laid out on the back seat with Noct in the floor.

After a few deep breaths, he was able to give Noct a weak smile and tug the others hand to his lips for a kiss.

"Better me than you. Though I think next time I'd rather not meet an assassin and missile at the same time..."

Noctis scowled when he heard Prompto's talk about it being better that he was hurt than Noctis. While, _technically speaking_ it was true, in the grand scheme of the universe, it didn't mean it was right. He pulled Prompto's hand back with his own, pressing a soft kiss to the palm of Prompto's hand, then to his knuckles before he sighed softly and ducked his head.

Gladio growled quietly at the Blondes words, while Ignis's grip tightened on the wheel. Neither liked this self-deprecating talk. Ignis pulled in front of the old Lestallum motel and turned to Gladio.

"Ah, we've arrived. Gladio, if you would get us accommodations?" The man grunted and left, coming back a few moments later with the cards to two rooms. Now all they had to do was move Prompto into the room.

When they pulled in front of the motel, Noctis let go and slipped out of the car to prepare to carry Prompto in. He took the room keys from Gladio and slipped them into his pocket before taking one end of the stretcher, waiting until Gladio was lifting the other end before doing the same. With Prompto tied to the stretcher, they didn't need to worry about him falling, at least.

Prompto tilted his head back a little to watch as Noct got out, yelping softly when the stretcher started to move.

"Where are we?" Gladio answered him as they walked in, carefully maneuvering him with Noct to get the stretcher into one of the rooms.

"Ignis, lead the way." It took a lot of maneuvering to get to the room where Prompto would stay. Prompto was laid on a bed, still on the stretcher, while Ignis looked him over and they decided on who would stay with him. After a lot of deliberation, they decided that Noctis should be the one to stay with him. Noctis, once they were sure Prompto was comfortable on the bed, sat down on his own and sighed softly.

"Ignis, Gladio- do you guys wanna go grab food? I'll stay here for Prom."

The advisor gave him another potion before stepping away, glancing at Noct.

"That's an excellent idea Noct. We will also get some more curatives." Gladio agreed and the two left the motel room, leaving Prompto with a Prince who he was pretty sure was upset with him, and also his boyfriend?

Luckily, Iggy had let his neck free, and his arms were free as well, so he turned to his friend.

"Hey man, thanks for helping me." He reached out an arm to Noct, asking him to come over. "So, you wanna talk? or are you gonna be mopey cause I saved your ass?"

Noct gave a small nod when Ignis mentioned getting curatives, and when he and Gladio left the room, Noctis turned to listen to Prompto, walking over when the other gestured for him. He crouched by the bed, and scowled a bit when he heard Prompto's comment. After giving him a long hard stare, he reached a hand up...and he flicked Prompto on the forehead. 

"You're an ass sometimes. Of course I'm gonna be pissed that you nearly got yourself _killed_ over me Prompto! Actually, it's not even the fact that you nearly got killed over me- it's the fact that you seemed to be way too damn _happy_ to die for my sake!"

Prompto could honestly say that he should've expected the flick, though that didn't stop the indignant "hey!" that left his lips, only to fall silent when Noctis began ranting at him. Prompto didn't really know what to say. It wasn't so much that he was _happy_ to die per say, but it wasn't so bad if Noct was safe. His mouth opened once, then shut as he sighed softly, giving Noct a gentle smile. There was no way to really explain it, but he would rather he be hurt than Noct. The _idea_ of Noct hurt sent Prompto spiraling, so he cut it off quickly.

"Noct..."

Noct was gripping the bedsheets so hard his already pale knuckles were turning papery white, though after a long while, he let out a sigh as all the fight just…left. He couldn't stay mad at Prompto. But he could still be mad at himself. He would save that for later though. He reached out and grasped Prompto's hand, bringing it to his chest. His heart was _pounding_ with nerves.

Prompto’s eyes widened when Noctis brought his hand to the Princes chest, feeling the pounding heart underneath. Prom whimpered slightly and tugged at Nocts shirt to get him to lay his head down on the bed, allowing the blonde to pet his hair.

"Hey, It’s okay, see?" He placed one of Nocts hands where his heart was. "I'm alive, and I don't plan on dying any time soon, despite my tendency to protect you."

Noct frowned, though when Prompto started petting his hair it softened just a bit, and when he started feeling Prompto's heartbeat, his glare softened as he let out a soft sigh, curling his fingers slightly into Prompto's shirt.

"Prompto...you'd better not die. I'll be pissed at you just about forever if you die." After a long moment, he moved closer, reaching a hand up to cup Prompto's cheek and jaw before speaking.

Prompto let his own hand close over the one on his chest for a moment, watching as Noct sat up and cupped his cheek.

"...But I'm glad you're alive. I saw you dripping blood all over me, and for a second I... I thought... ' _this is it. This is the end of the world. We lost_.' But… then you asked if I was okay and… I had to make sure you stayed with me."

Prompto couldn't help but tear up a bit as he listened to Noct, now aware of just how bad he must've looked leaning over Noct like that. Carefully he turned his head and kissed Nocts fingers, whispering,

"I'm not going to die, Noct. I promised to stay by your side forever."

After a long moment, Noct leaned in, pressing his lips- they were slightly chapped from how much he had been nervously biting at them- to Prompto's. He didn't move, didn't deepen the kiss- he just kept close, kept the soft contact between them there.

 Slightly chapped lips met Promptos, filling him with love and safety. Gently the gunslinger wrapped an arm around Nocts neck, pulling him closer and humming in the back of his throat.

The arm around his neck reassured him. It made him feel like he hadn't just lost his best friend, as did Prompto's gentle humming.

Like Noct, Prompto didn't move much or deepen it, just enjoyed the contact until he pulled away for air. Prom stared up at his best friend and gently traced his features, fingers resting on chapped lips and smiling a bit.

"You're way too damn beautiful and perfect, and fuck part of me isn't sure if this is real or not." He had been thinking like that since they had sat in front of the fire, not sure if Noct actually had feelings for him or was just seeking comfort.

When the other man pulled away, Noct could have complained, but he was stopped by soft fingers and even softer words. He pressed a light kiss to Prompto's fingers before responding.

"It's real, Prompto. I'm real, you're real. This is all real, I promise." He leaned in, resting his forehead against Prompto's. "The way I feel about you is real, Prompto. I thought way too damn hard sometimes about how I felt, but I think I've got it all figured out now." Noctis wasn't good with words- that was Prompto's thing, but after nearly losing Prompto _twice_ now, Noctis refused to leave his best friend in the dark when it came to knowing exactly what Noctis thought of him.

"I love you, Prompto. Don't think for one damn minute that I don't think the world of you."

There was a visible relaxation in Prompto's body as he listened to Noct speak, the tears that had threatened earlier now spilling over. He loved him. His best friend, the Prince of Lucis, loved him.

Gods, this was more than Prom could have ever hoped for. He grinned from ear to ear through his tears, staring into the others eyes.

When Noct saw Prompto's tears, his grin as big and bright as the sun itself, and his shining eyes, it felt like he had fulfilled his destiny right then and there- surely with someone so bright in front of him the crystal had to have been returned to Insomnia and the war must be over.

"Gods, I love you too, Noct. More than I can every say." He wrapped an arm around Noct's neck again and tugged him down for a kiss, pouring all of his emotion into it. Every bit of love, relief, and hope that he had over this.

Noct returned the kiss fervently, running his fingers through Prompto's hair and keeping himself balanced over Prompto with one hand, feeling everything around him vanish except for the man underneath him.

Of course, this came to a stop when Prompto moved too much and let out a yelp, as he had pulled his wounds. He pulled away with a sheepish grin.

"Ooh, forgot I was hurt for a second... fuck, note to self, don't let yourself be hit by a missile or MT again. Gods I wish I could warp!"

That stopped quickly when he heard the yelp, and he froze as he watched Prompto's grin turn embarrassed. He frowned a bit.

"I'm not even letting you near an MT again, you beautiful bastard. Just...let me do the hard work here and enjoy it." With that, he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Prompto's jaw, working his way over his lovers cheeks and temples.

Prompto chuckled a bit as Noct peppered him with kisses, sighing a bit whenever the prince found a sensitive spot.

"Your wish is my command, Your Majesty." He teased softly, running a hand through the Princes dark locks. It was nice, feeling loved. His insecurities were taking a back burner now as he enjoyed the attention.

The soft sighs and smiles and hands in his hair were what kept Noctis going in his motions, nuzzling at pressing his lips to every inch of skin he could get to.

"So, did Iggy tell you why I'm strapped to a makeshift stretcher thing? Because I'm pretty sure the thing didn't hit my spine." Prompto raised an eyebrow at the Prince,

"Is it because you wanted me so bad you had to strap me down?" He wiggled both eyebrows, knowing just how bad it was, and it was hilarious.

Novt was working on the underside of Prompto's jaw when he heard the others, frankly shit, pickup line. Rolling his eyes, he gave Prompto's throat a sharp nip as a punishment before soothing the sting with his lips.

A soft gasp left Prompto when Noct nipped the underside of his jaw, fingers tightening around dark hair for a moment.

"Actually we were considering using you as a weapon, but you were too soft so we had to strap you to the stretcher to make sure you wouldn't break when you hit the enemy."

"How considerate of you, though it clearly didn't work too well." A bit dark, but Prompto used his hand to make sure that Noct couldn't lift his head much, running his fingers through hair and scratching softly.

He could feel Prompto keeping his head down near his throat and neck, though Noctis couldn't say he minded it too terribly.

"Lay down with me, you're gonna get sore sitting like that." A yawn escaped him and Promptos eyes closed a bit, wanting to sleep a bit, but wanting to make sure Noct was comfortable first.

Soft kisses and gentle nibbles were the only response Noctis gave him for the grim joke, at least until he heard Prompto's request and yawn. Noctis nodded against Prompto's chest, moving so he was laying on his side in the bed, face level with Prompto's, and he reached a hand out to slowly, tenderly stroke back the others soft blonde hair

Ignis and Gladio had only been gone for an hour, spending as much as they dared without running out of money to pay for the motel for the next couple days. Finally satisfied, they headed back to the Motel. They had their own room, but Ignis stopped by the younger mens room to drop off some of the medication. He knocked on the door,

"Noctis? I've brought medicine for Prompto."

Noct jolted a bit when he heard the knock on the door and Ignis' voice. A soft sigh escaped him as he rolled out of bed, making his way over to the door and opening it up.

"Ah, nice. Thanks Specs. Did you and Gladio manage to find something to eat? Prompto's about to pass out any second now, but I'm willing to cram food down his throat before he does."

Prompto had started humming happily when Noct laid down next to him and played with hair, whining when Specs interrupted them. Ignis just looked on with amusement at the Prince and Prompto, handing the medication over to Noct.

"Yes, there is soup and crackers in the bag for both of you, along with some water bottles with a straw for Prompto. Make sure he eats some then give him a potion. Hopefully by tomorrow he will be healed enough that we can unstrap him." That was a pleasant thought, and Prompto waved a hand in agreement. Noct hummed and nodded,

"Nice, thanks Specs. Tell Gladio not to wear a hole in the motel floor, because I know he's probably walking circles around your room. Good night."

Ignis nodded to both boys and said good night, quietly closing the door behind him. Prompto watched his prince from his position on the bed, grinning.

"You're gonna have to feed me, Princey. I can't exactly sit up." Somehow that wasn't nearly as it could have been, though Prompto blamed it on the emotional high he was on right now.

When Ignis left and he heard Prompto's 'order,' he snorted softly and walked over with the bag and medication, grabbing a board they could use as a tray before laying back in bed with Prompto.

"Yeah, yeah. Listen to your king and eat, you adorable and frustrating peasant." That was a bit of a joke at this point, but only between himself and Prompto. It was no secret that Prompto was the commoner of the friend group, but whenever he made jokes about Noctis' status, Noctis would fire right back at him and jokingly order him about.

Prom laughed at Nocts joke, sticking his tongue out maturely. It was nice, that Noct didn't care about his status as much as Prompto didn't care about Nocts status. Gladio and Ignis were great and all, but he still felt like the two would sometimes judge his mistakes and behavior because he was a commoner and had no, "formality" training or some shit.

Pulling out the soup, Noct took a glance at them before wrinkling his nose.

"I assume the vegetable soup is for you." He checked the other soup container before sighing in relief. Beef stew he could deal with. Cracking open the water bottles, he popped in a straw and set it close enough that Prompto could actually drink it by himself with a little maneuvering.

"Of course it's for me, Iggy probably took pity on you having to take care of my injured ass."

Speaking of which...

"Do you think Iggy and Gladio would be okay with us?" He didn't want to cause tension or lose the two men as friends.

Popping the container on the soup lids, Noct set them on the makeshift tray before holding out a spoonful for Prompto, thinking about his question.

Prompto hummed, happily taking a spoonful of soup. It was good, and Prompto was pretty sure Ignis had actually made the soup himself. The water was close, so with a bit of a twist Prompto drank some.

"Gladio...Gladio would be happy, I think. Ignis is gonna give me the lecture of a lifetime about my duties and how as a prince I'll still probably have to marry Luna, but...I think he'll be happy too."

"True, pretty sure Gladio is going to be smug as shit." Prompto blushed a bit, thinking back to all the teasing, "Especially after I kissed you twice as a frog." Gods, they had literally reenacted "the princess and the frog" huh,

"Does that make me a princess?"

"Gladio is always smug as shit. Always has been, probably always will be." At the mention of Prompto being a princess, however, Noctis snickered softly.

"Well you always have been kind of on the girly side of things compared to the rest of the group. Not that I mind, of course, but we've pretty much all agreed that out of all of us you would be the first one to wear a dress."

Prompto paused at Nocts mention of Luna and he sighed a bit, looking up at Noct. "I... I get that... I'm just a commoner. Even if you weren't marrying Lady Lunafreya, people would probably still give you shit."

Nocts smirk dropped when he heard Prompto degrading himself, and he reached over to gently rest his hand on Prompto's, lacing their fingers together while he fed the other another few spoonful’s of soup.

"We don't know if I even will be marrying Luna anymore. But you know I would pick you any day of the year."

Prompto brightened a bit, "Though you're right, Iggy probably would be okay with it after a long ass lecture." If he didn't already know.

Noct did groan at the reminder of the lecture.

"We can keep it on the down low until you recover. I'm not dealing with Ignis' and his lectures from hell for at least three days. You haven't been on the receiving end of the real ones yet- the lectures he gives you are just reprimands." He didn't bother with the spoon for his own stew, opting to just bring the bowl to his lips.

Prompto winced a bit at the thought of a true lecture from Ignis, having heard about them from Noct before, lightly playing with his friend’s fingers as they held his.

"I know man, I guess we won't know until we finally make it to Altissia huh?" Still, he smiled and kissed Nocts fingers when the other said that he would choose him over anyone.

Nocts comment about a dress caught up with him and he squawked a bit. He was not _that_ girly. "Ah hell no, you'd be the first to wear a dress! Gladio literally calls you _princess_ " He stuck out his tongue and drank a little more water.

Noctis snorted at the thought of himself wearing a dress.

"Not happening. Gladio calls me princess because he's insecure about his own manhood. And unlike you, I don't actually squeal over chocobos and stuffed toys.”

"Besides, I am anything but submissive, not that'd you know." Prompto smirked a bit. He was _pretty_ sure the Prince hadn't actually had sex with anyone. Prom on the other hand, had.

"mwahahaha" oops, that was out loud. Prom blushed and groaned, knowing Noct was gonna ask. Note to self, don't chuckle evilly about sexual experience unless you want to explain.

When Noct heard claims about not being submissive, followed by that chuckle, he raised an eyebrow. He wasn't surprised at the possibility of Prompto having had sex, but did the other seriously think Noctis was clueless?

"Uh...Prom? I went to high school with you, and we both frequented the internet. Do you honestly think that my knowledge on sex is completely nonexistent? I'm pretty sure there's nothing you can't tell me about it that would take me by surprise." That said, he was curious about his lovers past sex life, and after a moment, he lightly prodded the other in the side.

"Now you have to spill it- who was it and when did you plan on telling me about them?"

Prompto groaned a bit, but then laughed,

"Dude, I know you looked at porn and shit. What high school boy didn't? I'm saying you have no sexual experience!" He smirked a bit and grabbed the poking hand, kissing the digits slowly, once for each of the people he listed.

"Whenever you asked. One of the theater guys in 11th grade, the head cheerleader, that dude who sat next to us in senior history, that football player who sang, Keena Martin, ya know the crowns guard applicant from our school?" He shrugged a bit.

"All of them were one night stands, and I got a bit of a reputation among the girls and some of the guys as a good but picky lay." He raised an eyebrow at Noct.

"Did you seriously not hear about that all through Junior and Senior year? I kept waiting for you to demand details or an explanation." He stared at his lover, amused.

He raised his brows at each person listed, even whistling a bit at some of them, such as the head cheerleader.

"Got it, you have your legs spread in two different time-zone's." You weren't best friends with someone until you could jokingly call them a slut without them getting offended.

"I did, but I assumed you were either blowing steam and trying to impress me or you were a twink and got power bottomed by the girls and pounded by the guys, so I never said anything about it."

Prompto just flipped him off good naturedly, giving him a glare with a grin.

"For your information, it was _three_ time-zones." Ah yes, he was a bit of a slut, sue him. Granted, he wasn't about to tell him that it was to build his own confidence some.

"Mostly blowing steam. And for your information, I was not power bottomed by the girls. Hard to do that gagged. The guys I switched depending."

"Great, my lover's a whore. Perfect. You're lucky I love you."

Prompto kept playing with his lovers fingers and settled back grinning.

"Now, finish your food and fucking lay down. I wanna sleep."

Noct continued making playful, flirty conversation until he heard Prompto's demand, and he smirked a bit as he gulped down the last of his soup and set everything aside and off the bed, getting up for just long enough to dump the empty containers in the garbage before giving a sarcastic response and salute.

"Yes sir."

Outside the room, Gladio was dying of silent laughter against the wall. Why? Because he and Specs had come to get the leftover food and check on them, only to pause and listen in on the conversation. Needless to say, Ignis was struck speechless, staring in silent horror at the door. What he was so horrified about, Gladio didn't know, but it was probably the loss of innocence.

"Come on Iggy, let's go to bed." Carefully, he led the silent advisor back to their room, mentally making a note to by the two younger men a ton of condoms - and to tease the shit out of them.

Noct shut off the lights and slipped into bed next to Prompto, shutting his eyes as a rather calm atmosphere filled the room. It was several minutes later that he cracked open one eye and leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to the others lips as he reached a hand down to curl his fingers through Prompto's own.

"You'd better get better soon Prompto. We need you. _I_ need you." With that, he shut his eyes, ready for sleep.

It was a bit hard to relax being pinned to a stretcher, but by the time Noct got in the bed, Prompto was pretty comfortable. Noct lying next to him only made it better, though he blushed when Noct kissed him and held his hand, asking him to get better soon. Within moments of that, he was asleep.


	5. In which there is sexy times and fear

Morning brought an unusual wake up, in the form of large yet gentle hands unstrapping the restraints around Promptos waist. Blearily he glanced up, looking at the owner of the hands.

"Gladio...? wha…?" The larger man hushed him, motioning to the Prince who had somehow ended up buried in Promptos neck during the night. Prompto blushed and glared at the knowing smirk Gladio had.

"Just checking your wounds, specs said that one more potion this morning should be enough to make it safe for you to move." He handed the potion over and Prompto gratefully cracked it open, groaning softly as he felt the healing magic rush through him and stitch up his back more. Gladio left with a wave, calling,

"don't forget to wake up sleeping beauty!" Prom rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss onto the head next to him.

"Noct, wake up."

Noctis awoke in the morning to the distant sound of a recognizable Goliath and a much softer voice- and even softer kiss. He sighed, rebelling by hiding under the covers a bit more for just a few minutes, but eventually he gave in and sat up, rubbing one eyes with the palm of his hand and yawning.

"Just…about...awake..." He lowered his hand, smiling a bit and looking down at his lover.

"Morning Prompto. Did I hear the big guy come in with an expression as smug as his voice?"

From the look of things, it seemed to him like Prompto was looking a lot better than he had the day prior- Gladio must have given him a potion or something while Noctis was still mostly asleep. Prompto chuckled at Nocts question, taking the opportunity to press a kiss to the others hand.

"Yup, even smugger than his voice, if that's even possible." One arm stretched above his head, getting his back to pop a bit and Prompto to groan in both relief and slight pain. Oh yeah, that potion did the trick. Noct smirked,

"Oh...how are you feeling by the way? Can you move okay now that you're not tied down like a prisoner of war?"

"I feel a lot better." Prompto stuck his tongue out at Noct and sighed dramatically.

"It was awful being a prisoner, all I could do was _think_ " He then showed that he could move by slowly pushing himself upright, lightly tugging Noct with him.

"Come on man, I still need you to help me out of bed." His back wasn't hurting so much anymore, but his legs were weird from being forced to lay still for so long. Noct rolled his eyes but pressed a kiss to the bridge of Prompto's nose.

"Yeah I got it." He slipped out of bed and ruffled Prompto's hair before wrapping an arm around the other male and helping him up. He made sure to stand steady enough that Prompto could use him as a support.

"Need me to help you out with showering, or do you think you're good on that end of things? You know Ignis will be pissed if you get an infection or something from not taking a bath."

Besides, if Noctis was being honest, he lived for naps and nice hot showers and baths. Especially since they started this road trip and ended up caked in dust, blood, dirt, or some combination of the three at the end of each day.

Carefully Prompto tested his stance, pushing away from Noct to see. He made it about three steps before his legs were shaking a little. Yup, note to self, never lay down for more than a nights sleep.

"Dude, I feel like a fucking New born. This sucks." He sighed and reached out for Noct, not wanting to risk anything.

"You basically are a newborn Prompto- bad decision making, a bit whiney, but adorable and easy to love." He steadied the other as soon as it became clear that Prompto couldn't walk, turning him so they could head for the bathroom and get washed up. Prompto stuck his tongue out at his lover and quipped,

"I'm gonna need help in the shower, unless you want me to brain myself on the tile."

"If you brain yourself on the tile Ignis won't be able to decide whether he should kick my ass or kick yours. On one hand, I'm literally the chosen king and it's his job to not let me get injured, and on the other hand you, theoretically, just bashed your brains out."

 Prompto grinned at Noct, slowly stepping towards the bathroom. A bath sounded heavenly right now. He was still covered in dried blood - his own- and dirt, though Ignis had been nice enough to take his soiled clothes away, leaving him in a tank and shorts.

"Honestly, Iggy would kill me if I got into the regalia still covered in blood, dirt and oil like I am. Plus, can't get sick when I gotta watch your back still~" The gunner gently nudged Noct, kissing his shoulder.

The kiss to the shoulder as they stepped into the bathroom got a smile out of Noct, and he gave the other's waist a small squeeze as he shut the door behind them.

"Alright, strip so we can burn your clothes later. Even I don't think those are salvageable at this point."

"Tell me about it." Prompto groaned, taking his weight off the Prince and slowly stripping out of his shirt.

As his back was to Noct, he didn't know that there was a huge scar down his back. It stretched from just below the gunners’ right shoulder down to his left hip, jagged and ugly. Prompto groaned again and stretched again, wincing when the new skin pulled.

Sighing, he threw a smile over his shoulder at Noct before stripping off his pants and boxers, wrinkling his nose in disgust before tossing all his clothes to the side, leaving him bare.

Noctis had started stripping as well, but when he glanced up to make sure Prompto wasn't about to get himself killed, he froze. That was one god awful scar. Prompto's back was _ruined_...because of him? Because he hadn't been able to pay more attention?

"Alright, let’s get this shit off." Carefully Prompto reached out and turned on the shower, waiting for it to heat up while he turned to Noct a bit, reaching out an arm to grab the other for support.

Noct hadn't realized that he was absolutely _frozen_ in place until he felt Prompto grab him for support, and he hadn't realized that his hands were faintly shaking until he felt how steady Prompto felt when compared to him.

"...Yeah..." He stripped off the rest of his clothes and located something for Prompto to sit on, setting it on the shower floor.

Prompto frowned at the slight shaking in Nocts limbs, but didn't comment.

When the water was warm, he ushered Prompto in and had him sit down, but he was so…subdued. Guilt was clawing its ugly marks in his chest as he was reminded, once again and to his annoyance and guilt, that Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis were ready and willing to /die/ for him.

For a moment Prompto enjoyed the warmth, but was disconcerted by how... quiet Noct was.

The Prince being quiet wasn't unusual, but this was not normal. He seemed upset, or withdrawn, which wasn't normal at all for his sarcastic and sullen Prince.

Coming to a decision, he reached back and pulled Noct around in front of the stool, gently forcing him to kneel on the tile. Prompto's back protected the others face from the water, allowing the gunner to lean down and press a kiss to his lovers face.

When Noctis felt Prompto guiding him around so they could see each other face to face, he knew _exactly_ what was coming. Prompto may not be strong like Gladio, nor calculating like Ignis, but Noctis knew that Prompto _felt_ more than all of them combined. He had always been the first one to notice tension, or when somebody was feeling like shit.

"Hey, talk to me Noct. What's wrong?" Prompto ran a hand through Nocts slightly damp locks, massaging his scalp while the warm water continued to beat down on Promptos back, washing away dried blood and dirt.

Noct felt soft lips on his face and the soothing voice of his lover. He lightly bit his lower lip, opening his mouth a few times while he tried to say what was on his mind, but he just...couldn't. Prompto was the one who was hurt, what right did Noctis have to be upset? Still, looking up into the familiar face of the guy who Noctis was sure came from a literal ray of sunshine, he eventually managed to pull himself together enough to give a coherent response.

"Your...your back. That was...that was my fault, now that I think about it." He got up, locating a couple of hand mirrors. Handing one to Prompto so he could look, he angled the other behind his lover so the scar would be visible in the reflection.

"My back?" He asked slowly, confused. Yeah, it still hurt, but it wasn't that bad anymore.

At least, he thought that until he saw the scar in the mirror. Prom took a deep breath and let it out, reaching behind him to trace over its rough edges. Now Nocts behavior made sense. The Prince did get extremely upset when any of them got hurt or protected him.

Carefully he took the mirror from Noct and set it aside, taking a moment to let the water wash over him. He then lightly cupped his lovers face, smoothing the skin with his thumb.

"Hey, Noct, it's not your fault." Prom kissed another kiss into his lovers’ forehead, and on his lips.

"That assassin was in your blind spot; you couldn't have known it was there." Pulling away, he grasped Noct's hands and guided them to his back, shuddering a bit when fingers touched the scar.

"This is just proof that I did my job, this and that you're alive in front of me."

Noct also shivered softly when Prompto guided his hands, feeling the rough texture of the scar when compared to the otherwise soft skin of his lovers back.

"Still...I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings. Shouldn't have...you guys shouldn't _have_ to protect me. It's not _your_ job to protect me Prompto." After a long moment he let out a shuddering sigh, resting his head on the others shoulder.

"It's like history is repeating itself every time one of you guys gets hurt on my behalf. Gladio's scars, now yours. Ignis might have some too, but I've never seen them. I don't...I.." He took another breath, raising his head to stare Prompto straight in the eye. There was pain hidden deep in his expression, guarded furiously but still peeking out.

"Nearly everybody I've ever known has gotten hurt or died so I could live Prompto. That's not a life I enjoy living. For once...I'd like to be the one to do the protecting."

Prompto smiled sadly at Noct's words, having watched Noctis for so long deal with this pain from others. Silently, he slipped off the stool, pushing it away so he had enough room to draw the Prince into his lap, running a hand through his hair.

"I know man, I know. But being part of your guard, Noct, means I'm gonna get hurt. It's a given for all of us." Kisses were peppered over his face and his head rested near Prompto's heart.

"You hear that? That's going to keep beating until we're old and you've passed the throne on, and are tired of this world. I promise." He nuzzled the Princes hair, barely flushing as he realizes that a - he hasn't actually washed yet and b - Noct is now sitting on his crotch. Pushing that aside, he whispered,

"Okay?"

Noct listened to the soothing words coming from his lover, though they did little to heal the heaviness in his chest. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis could happily _die_ for him. That was a nerve-wracking thought. They could die and leave him alone and he would be helpless to stop it. Still...he could pretend. For Prompto's sake he could lie and pretend he was okay.

"...Okay." He leaned in, pressing slow kisses to Prompto's lips before rising, even smirking a little.

A soft sigh left Prompto as he kissed Noct back, not fully convinced that his lover believed him, but didn't push. He didn't want to be shut out by his best friend.

"Time to clean you up then. As nice as it is to sit here and kiss you, you smell a little like roadkill right now." He urged Prompto back onto the stool and grabbed the shampoo, squeezing some into his hand before scrubbing his fingers gently through Prompto's hair. His own hair was plastered around his neck and face.

When urged to sit down, Prompto gladly complied, wrinkling his nose a bit.

"Dude, I do... and watch where you put that soap!" He laughed and wiped away a few suds that had fallen in his face. After a moment, Prom relaxed into the fingers rubbing through his hair and on his scalp. It was _heavenly_ after so long without a true shower. Rivers and streams just didn't cut it.

"Might as well wash yourself too~" hummed Prompto, leaning his head back to rinse out the soap. Once he had, the gunner leaned forward again and pressed a few kisses along Noct's waist and hips, smiling up at him.

"I planned on it. I'd enjoy camping a lot more if there was a steady access to showers. Gladio may be content to smell like a voretooth, but I'm sure as hell not." Noct did smile genuinely when he felt Prompto's kisses- after a moment he dropped down and decided they'd be in the shower for a while yet.

Prompto laughed at the description of Gladio, it was too accurate.

Noct located a washcloth and, after lathering it with soap, started scrubbing it over Prompto's skin with a delicate touch that one could only really expect from royalty.

Prompto smiled and relaxed as Noct washed him, eyes slipping closed in enjoyment. Having someone else wash him was definitely a novel experience, but certainly not one that he disliked.

The Prince hesitated when he got to Prompto's back, but in the end he settled for pressing his lips over the freshly washed skin of Prompto's neck and shoulders while he gently, gently ran the cloth over the back and scar. His eyes slipped shut as he cleaned his lover up, working and trailing his lips up from the other mans’ shoulders, up his neck and along his jaw, and finally to his lips, where he stole small, slow kisses.

The hesitation towards washing his back had Prompto opening his eyes with a soft hum, glancing at Noct, then humming happily when his lover began kissing his neck and shoulders while washing his back and scar. The kisses got closer and closer to his mouth, and Prompto couldn't help the soft whimper that left him when Noct left slow kisses on his lips.

"Noct..." The others name was barely more than a breath. Prompto wrapped his arms around Noct, one hand going to damp, dark hair to pull him closer, deepening the kisses some. He knew he should let Noct bathe, but all he wanted was more attention and kisses.

Noctis hummed softly, smiling against Prompto's lips when he heard the small whimper, and he shivered softly when his own name fell from his lovers’ lips. He pressed close, nibbling at Prompto's lips gently as he finished washing him up.

His arms settled around Prompto's waist and hips, and it wasn't long until Noctis was working his lips over the other's skin again, only this time he let his teeth come out to play as well. A soft nibble to the blondes’ earlobe, a kiss, bite, and lick against his shoulder, soft kisses and love bites trailing down Prompto's chest and stomach. He could get used to a closeness like this, if it was with Prompto. He had never been good at intimacy, except with the other male.

The hand in Noctis's hair didn't leave, but it did tighten and pause for a moment as the Prince began to kiss and nip over Promptos pale skin. He gasped softly, leaning back slightly to give Noct better access wherever he wanted it.

This felt right. It wasn't hot, rushing lust and need that drove this like Promptos other encounters. This was trust, comfort, and love. It felt amazing. He began petting Nocts hair again, whimpering and whispering Nocts name into the dark locks. He had never felt more comfortable, nor more aroused, before. Of course, this means that Prompto was now a very interesting red that had nothing to do with the heat of the water.

"Noct... Please..." Hell, he wasn't sure what he even wanted, just letting himself go into Nocts care, trusting him.

Whatever it was that Prompto wanted of him, Noctis would be more than happy to give it. But since he _didn't_ know specifically what Prompto craved, Noctis was more than happy to continue what he was doing.

Lifting a hand, he slowly played with the hair at the base of Prompto's neck, moving up to nibble soothingly at the others shoulder before dropping back down again. His lips continued to press low kisses down the blondes’ skin until he found a nice spot near his hip.

Giving the other a quick bite, he soothed it over with his tongue before slowly nibbling and sucking at the bite mark. He wanted to leave a mark on Prompto- evidence that beyond all of the other affairs his lover had had, he was Noctis' now.

There was a soft yelp from Prompto when Noct latched onto his hip, groaning after as his lover played with the mark.

"Gods" he whispered, hand leaving Noct's shoulder to fall between them, palming himself. His other hand stopped moving and tightened on Nocts head some, undecided if he wanted to move Noct or not. After a moment, Prom lightly tugged Noct up to kiss him, nipping at the others lip and pulling him closer that he was almost sitting in Promptos lap.

When Prompto's hand settled and gently tugged at his hair, Noctis lifted his head a bit to admire the mark he had left on his lovers’ skin. It was a nice dark bruise, and Noctis had never felt so aroused than he did knowing that he had just _marked_ Prompto in a way that nobody could miss the meaning of, and he returned the kiss with a slight smirk.

 It became very clear how aroused the gunner was, hard on pressing against Noct's leg.

"Fuck..." He whispered when he broke the kiss, hips twitching some.

Of course, Nocts arousal only grew when he heard the gasping and whispered words coming out of Prompto's mouth. He leaned up a bit, pressing his mouth to the other mans, and his hand travelled downward to palm and slowly tease the head of Prompto's member.

The teasing touch to his head had Prompto whimpering into the kiss, hips twitching up again to chase the sensation.

Shit, when was the last time he had a chance to get off? Forget that, when was the last time he'd had a partner? Way too long, and from the feel of that mark on his hip, Noct was planning on staying around.

Not wanting to have all the attention just on him, Prompto broke the kiss and began kissing at Nocts jaw and neck, biting down where the Prince's neck met his collar bone, before soothing with kisses. It was only fair that he got to mark him as well, though Promptos mark was a _bit_ more obvious. The teasing touch was getting to him though, and it was actually hard to move his hips in his position.

"Fuck, Noct please..."

"Mm....well I can't say no if you said the magic word." Never mind the fact that Noctis was achingly hard as well, and the fact that the bite to his neck had sent shocks of white hot _want_ through his core and right down to his throbbing arousal.

"Just stay still and let me take care of you Prom. It's the least I can do for you." He slowly grasped Prompto's member, and after a moment he held himself as well, slow rubbing and teasing both himself and his lover. He let out a soft groan, leaning in and capturing Prompto's lips with his own, now working his hand in earnest in his efforts to please Prompto and get himself off. He felt precum dripping over his hand, though at this point he couldn't tell whose it was.

A pleased moan escaped when Noct grasped Promptos’ member, wrapping his arms tight around the other and kissing back hungrily. Prom felt a little bad that he wasn't helping much, but Noct said not to, plus the pleasure was making it a bit hard to think right now.

He broke the kiss and began kissing and nipping at Nocts jaw and neck, pulling his lover tight to him. He left a trail of small love bites on the pale skin, fingers rubbing and scratching lightly on the Princes back.

Prompto's teeth against his neck sent wonderful little shocks through Nocts body, and he tilted his head back a bit to provide easier access for his lover. His eyes had long since fallen shut, soft little pants escaping him.

Now that the other had tilted his head back, Prompto could reach more of Nocts neck, kissing and nipping before biting down at the base of his throat and chest, suckling lightly.

Each stroke from Noct got a moan from Prompto, and the others groans sent heat straight to his core, precum leaking everywhere. Because of how close they were, Prom found that if he shifted his hips _just_ right, he could rub their members and Nocts hands together, causing _wonderful_ friction.

"Prompto..." The others name slipped out of Noct in a soft sigh when he felt his lover grinding and shifting against him, and he made sure to give the others member a firm few strokes for encouragement. By now Noctis could feel a hot coil in his core that he was, for the most part, familiar. He doubled his efforts, wanting to make sure he didn't leave Prompto hanging by reaching his own finish to soon.

The gunner wasn’t expecting the redoubled efforts, gasping and clinging to Noct for a moment before continuing his ministrations.

An almost burning coil had formed in his core, and he began to grind faster in time with Noct's sped up pace. One of his hands also left his lovers neck to trace between them and tease his chest, while his mouth let go of the Princes neck and pulled him into a deep kiss, whining. He was gonna lose it soon.

After what felt like forever, but was only a moment, his hips stuttered and he dug his nails into Noctis's back and chest, keening and accidentally biting down on Nocts lower lip, his release coating Nocts’ hand.

Hearing that whining keen and feeling his lover biting down on his lip- not hard enough to break skin but definitely enough to sting- was enough to make Noctis want to explode and find his release, but it was feeling Prompto spilling himself out that really did it for him.

A soft groan escaped him as he pressed himself closer to Prompto, spilling himself out over their stomachs before drifting down from his high and watching it all get washed down the drain- all evidence gone.

Well, almost all of it. He turned his sex hazy gaze back along Prompto's body, seeing in satisfaction that he had certainly made a point that the other male was his and his alone. Although, as he gave himself a quick inspection, it seemed Prompto had done the same, but less subtly. He sighed pleasantly, leaning in and kissing Prompto softly.

Prompto was out of it for a moment, riding a sex high. He was brought back to reality by a soft kiss pressed to his lips. He hummed happily and kissed back, feeling oddly boneless as he relaxed into Noctis.

For a moment he was content to simply stay there, lazily kissing his lover back. Eventually though, he pulled away and let the water rinse over him, washing away the last of the evidence. Except of course, the marks. He glanced over Nocts with a pleased grin, then glanced at the ones Noct had left himself, laughing a bit.

"Everyone is going to know something happened~" He leaned forward and kissed the darkest mark on Noct, which was at the base of his neck. "And the guys are gonna know 'cause we've been in here so long."

"Hmm, well Gladio suspected something anyway, and Ignis is smarter than Gladio so..they probably know, yeah. As for everyone else..." He smirked a bit, leaning down to nuzzle the mark he had left on Prompto's hip. "Let them wonder." Sitting back up, he rubbed the top of Prompto's head playfully.

"Now stay still so I can finish washing us up." Prompto laughed and playfully swatted back, but complied, enjoying the rest of the shower, content.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

It had been a week since then.

They had returned to discover that Jared, Talcotts grandfather, had been murdered by the empire in their hunt for Noctis. Iris had wanted to go to Cape Caem, and honestly Noctis was happy to agree. They had taken out an imperial base along the way, and once Iris had been dropped off, they learned the news about their ship. If they wanted a ship to Altissia, it was gonna need repairs- specifically mythril, and the rods that Noctis already had weren't gonna cut it.

Gladio had left them a few days ago on personal business not long after they had learned about the item they needed, and now it was just him, Prompto, and Ignis searching for it. Prompto was honestly very against the entire idea of hunting down the mythril, especially without Gladio, but it wasn't like they could force the man to stay. Or well, Noct _could_ but a pissed Gladio was awful to be around, so it's just easier to let him go.

Fortunately, they already had an idea of where to go- The Vesperpool.

The entire journey to get to the dungeon that apparently held said precious metal was even more stressful. First they had to go into Imperial held Vesperpool, which they were willingly let into, which of course meant there was no escape now.

When they got there, they had, much to everyone's displeasure, ran into Ardyn - or Ardyn the asshole as Prompto had privately dubbed him - and been forced to follow him due to the literal army of imperials trudging about. Honestly, that man gave Prompto the creeps. There was something not quite right about him.

More concerning however, was the person whose care they had left him in. Then they could only get into the creepy dungeon at night with the woman who had nearly beaten their asses, Aranea Highwind. As it were, Noctis, everyone really, knew they _had_ to bring her along, and she was a steady fighter even if they had beat her before, so it couldn't be too terrible. That being said, Prompto was _this_ close to throwing his hands in the air and marching away.

Nightfall arrived, and Noctis gave Prompto and Ignis a long, almost unreadable look before nodding and heading for the now opened doors of the dungeon.

Of course, _of course_ the first thing they encounter in this six damned dungeon was _undead_ daemon things. Prompto yelped and all but ran into a corner, firing wildly, yet accurately at the things. He did _not_ like undead things. The dead should stay dead. Once the first room was clear, he stuck like glue to Noct, a barely audible whimper leaving him once or twice when he was caught off guard.

They had been through hell and back in this place. Crumbling floors, daemons and undead beasts, and a maze of rooms that Noctis, frankly, was sick of even if he had looted it to the bare bones. 

At least they had a lot of treasure to sell in case their gil supply ran low.

They had even fought an iron giant, and Noctis was feeling pretty sore from the encounter- being squeezed by something twenty times your size would do that. 

On the bright side, they learned some interesting information about the empire, like how they were using daemons to create those MT things. That explained why the suits were empty when they killed them. Now though, they had hit a hallway that was all but black, with energy deposits, but no campsite.

"Noct, this doesn't feel right..." Prompto muttered, glancing towards the huge arching opening of the main hall. Ignis echoed his sentiments, and lightly gripped Nocts shoulder.

"Perhaps we should proceed with caution?"

"Yeah...took the words right out of my mouth guys."

Noct had an odd feeling that he knew what was up ahead. In the dungeons and caverns they had entered so far, he always had this kind of feeling when he felt like there was something...waiting.

Sucking energy out of the deposits and crafting a few spells, he distributed them among his friends before resting a hand on Prompto's shoulder, just as Ignis had rested and hand on his own.

"We'll be fine Prompto, and afterwards, when we see Gladio again, you can brag and wail on him about everything he missed." For Aranea, he gave a neutral but confirming nod, which she returned, and Noctis lead the group into the chamber.

Prompto gave Noct a smile at his reassurance, though it didn't make him feel much better. Part of him felt that if Gladio had been here, then this entire trip would've been a whole lot easier. Taking a deep breath, he followed Noct and Ignis out into the hall, glancing around slowly.

Nothing.

Everything was silent, just for a few moments, but as Noctis took another few steps forward, a roar pierced the air and gave way to a massive, mean looking monster with great, dragon like wings.

Noct's eyes widened as he summoned his weapons- what WAS that thing?!

Prompto voiced exactly what everyone was thinking,

"What the HELL is that thing?!" No one had a chance to answer as when it landed, the ground shook and sent everyone not holding onto something to the ground. It zeroed in on them and launched itself up, swooping down towards Noctis and Iggy.

Ignis pulled out his lance and began attacking, Areana doing the same. Prompto sprinted back a bit and pulled out his best gun, firing at every weak point he could see.

Problem?

That thing had _very_ few weak points. Only it's eyes and a small part of its under belly. Still, Prom fired whenever he could get a shot in, staying far enough that he wasn't too much at risk, but close enough to help.

Noctis began slashing at the beast with everything he had, going for eyes, soft spots, and wings. The beast was covered in hard scales, so the best thing he could do was stab at the beasts’ soft bits and make it start hurting.

It was tough though- the creature seemed awfully fond of flying in the middle of battle, where only he and Prompto, and occasionally Aranea, could attack it.

To make matters worse, the group soon discovered what else the beast had up its sleeve, especially by the time Noctis could see that it was starting to weaken, much like himself, Ignis, and Aranea.

A familiar burning sensation filled him when the creature unleashed a field of lightning, sending his knees buckling and forcing him to the ground alongside Ignis.

Prompto had watched in horror as the beast had charged up an attack, seeing that it was a lightning one, and quickly dodged out of the way.

Prompto and Aranea were the only two to get out of the way, her holding him back as he shouted for Ignis and Noct. She was yelling at him to shoot the beast, to wait till the lightning dissipated, but he couldn't.

As Noct jerked about trying to gain reuse of his limbs, his world exploded in pain.

Prompto broke free and began shooting at the beast, only to freeze when blood curling screams echoed through the hall.

Noct heard Ignis let out a shout, though it was more or less drowned out by his own screams as he was shocked, grabbed in one of the beasts’ claws, and then brutally slammed against the ground with all the weight and claw strength of the monster behind it.

He felt bones cracking and breaking, blood pouring out of his nose and mouth, and within moments he was a twitchy, electrified, broken mess barely able to moan in pain on the ground.

Slowly, Prompto turned towards the source, knowing before seeing it was Noct. The beast had already finished its attack, flying high and preparing to go again, but Prompto wasn't about to let that happen.

Red filled his vision and he sprinted over to Noct, sliding to a stop and aiming his gun high as the beast bared down on the two. Without looking he knew that his lover was bad off, and this had to end quickly.

Off to the side, Ignis was screaming for him and Noct, unable to really move due to the aftershocks.

Time slowed down.

Prompto threw a blizzard flask into the monsters’ mouth, followed by unloading his entire gun into its mouth. Aranea appeared as it shrieked, driving her weapon through its eye, killing it.

Time sped up.

Ignis slowly came over, assessing Nocts injuries, while Prompto dropped to his knees and dismissed his gun. He bowed over Noct and felt for a heart-beat, tears blurring his vision as his hands ran over his lovers’ chest and neck. A pulse, he had to find a pulse…

It took Prompto far longer than was comfortable due to his shaking hands, but he found a pulse, albeit a weak one. The blonde nearly sobbed in relief.

"Come on, come on, stay alive Noct. I can't lose you, not now." Quietly Aranea handed him a Phoenix down, which Prompto quickly pushed into the Princes’ hands and prayed. This was so much worse than Promptos injuries.

Noctis wasn't really sure what was going on around him anymore. Everything was an odd mixture of sluggishly slow and far too quick, numb and haze but so painful and present.

Vaguely, he was aware of blood pooling in his mouth- into his lungs, and he coughed, trying to hack it back up, but that only sent him spiraling into pain again as his broken ribs protested. He felt someone touching him, and he groaned softly in protest, though when he felt something soft being pushed into his hand, he gave it a small squeeze and felt warm energy pouring over him. It didn't do much- healed his punctured lungs and organs, and a few ribs, but besides that it did bring him back to a slight state of awareness. 

The sight of his lover leaning over him was both a nice sight and a worrying one, and if Noctis was being honest, shutting his eyes and sleeping seemed well worth not being able to stay up and chat.

Still, Prompto looked so worried and…Ignis as well, now that he blinked one eye open, blood dripping into it from a wound on his hairline.

"P…Prom…? Specs...the... the mythril…?" 

Prompto began to cry in relief when Noct opened his eyes, despite the pain. The fact that the Phoenix down didn't instantly heal him spoke volumes of how bad off he was, but Prompto could care less at this point.

Noct was alive.

Noct shuddered softly when Prompto's tears dripped over him- the salt was stinging his wounds, but he couldn't bring himself to tell Prompto not to cry.

A Hi-potion was pressed into Promptos hand by Ignis, who spoke quietly.

"Aranea has gone to get it." Prompto nodded, even if he wasn't sure, instead pressing the potion into Nocts hand and helping him break it, even if it barely did anything.

"Noct... Thank the gods you're alive..." He whispered, tensing slightly as Ignis grabbed Promptos shoulder, reminding him that they had to get Noct out of here.

Nodding he ripped his shirt into a few strips to wrap around Noct's chest, Ignis helping remove the Prince's jacket, then carefully slipped an arm under Noct's neck and legs. Ignis carefully folded the Princes arms onto his chest.

Noct let out a soft sigh when he was told that they had the mythril, though he did groan softly when Prompto and Ignis started shuffling him about, gasping in pain at the strips tightening around his chest.

"This is gonna hurt, love." Prompto whispered, then stood, lifting Noct and holding him bridal style.

The Prince vaguely heard Prompto's warning, but it didn't stop the strangled groan that escaped him when he was lifted by his lover.

"Shh…shh…" Prompto pressed a few kisses into Nocts pale skin, nearly panicking with worry. He knew it hurt badly to be moved when injured, but they had to leave.

Pain throbbed everywhere- his head, his chest, legs, arms, and stomach, and Noct was seeing black at the edge of his vision. His eyelashes fluttered as he weakly moved a hand, resting it on Prompto's chest, fingers curled lightly over the others heart. 

Before he could say anything though, everything faded to black as Noct finally went limp in Prompto's arms, breathing weakly but not feeling pain in his unconscious state.

Noct's hand gripping weakly at his bare chest melted Prompto's heart, though he nearly panicked again when Noct went limp, tightening his hold on his lovers’ unconscious body.

Helplessly he looked at Ignis, who looked nearly as helpless as he felt. Aranea came back and looked them over, before motioning for them to follow.

"Iggy..." 

"I know." The advisor broke another potion over Noct, but all this did was slow some of the bleeding. They followed Aranea, Prompto clutching tightly to Noct. Once more on the way out the Prince's condition got worse, sending advisor and lover into a frenzy to keep him from dying. 

Finally, they reached the entrance, and Aranea turned to them. 

"Look, my ship isn't fitted with a medical bay, so it's either camp out here until the Prince is healed, or risk taking him to Lestallum." The two men looked at each other, silently communicating. They couldn't risk Noct dying, but Lestallum was too far. "

We'll stay here. We have enough medical supplies to stabilize him. Once he is, we'll bring him to Lestallum." Aranea nodded and waved them away with,

"We'll wait until you're ready." She was nice enough to help them to a camp site and set up, Prompto never once letting go of Noct. As they set up, they had a scare where Prompto couldn't find a pulse, though it was merely extremely weak. Weak enough to make them fear that Noct wouldn't last the night. 

Once set up, they piled the sleeping bags up and carefully moved Noct from Promptos' arms to the makeshift bed, stripping off his soiled clothes.

 "Prom, I will go get some water and clean his clothes, wrap any wounds you see and yell if he wakes." Prompto nodded and started by carefully rewrapping the Princes’ chest before cleaning around his neck and mouth, wincing at the amount of blood. He pressed a soft kiss into the bruised skin of his lovers’ cheek, bowing his head and gripping Nocts hand lightly.

"Please, wake up..."


	6. In which Noct returns to the land of the living

Noctis' dreams were hazy at best. Vague memories mixed with images entirely of his own creation merged until Noctis was no longer sure what was reality and what was fiction.

He felt like he was drifting on an open ocean, and there was something under the waves, threatening to pull him under even as he tried to swim against it. His real body would start taking shallow breaths when the beast below got too close to dragging him down, but something above the water kept him up.

As Prompto tended Noct, he noticed that every now and then would breathe shallowly, as if afraid. When that happened, Prom pressed kisses into his cheeks and forehead, murmuring comfort, worried.

It took him a while before he realized exactly what it was; it was a soft, familiar voice- a voice he had come to associate with comfort, love, and companionship. He wanted to go to it- he WOULD go to it.

He awoke with a soft moan, eyes still shut but fluttering slowly. As he slowly peered his eyes open, he was immediately aware of how much he hurt all over- had this been how Prompto felt?

_Finally_ Prompto heard a soft moan and watched as Noctis's eyes fluttered slowly, watching as his lover winced and reaching out to stroke blood soaked hair.

Speaking of Noct’s lover, he was more or less immediately aware that the blonde was with him, and after straining his vocal cords a bit, he eventually got a raspy word out.

"Hey..."

Proms eyes were red from crying. Nocts first words to him had him choking, the sound half sob, half laugh.

"Hey? I just watched you get fried and diced and you say hey?" He kissed his lover softly, tears coming back.

Noct smiled, just a bit, when he heard the heart-wrenching laugh from his lover. "Yeah...hey."

"Gods, I'm glad you’re alive." Prom grabbed one of Nocts hands and held it carefully, "How do you feel?"

When asked how he felt, he was able to answer immediately.

"Like I just went ten rounds bare knuckle with Gladio on a bad day." Prompto's hand felt warm against his own, and he gave the others hand a light squeeze of reassurance.

Prompto giggled a bit at Noct's comparison, but quickly sobered up as he took in his lovers limp form. Gods, he had nearly lost him. Fuck, it was terrifying.

"Where...are we right now?" Noct couldn't see much of his environment- his movement was limited and he couldn't really bring himself to pull his gaze away from his lover anyway.

"Ah, we're camped out in Vesperpool... It's safer than traveling right now..." He didn't want to tell Noct that moving him could kill him.

After a long moment, Noct noticed the others slightly puffy red eyes, and he reached a shaky hand up to brush his knuckles lightly against the skin underneath them.

The soft brush almost had Prompto crying again. Instead he lightly grasped the shaking fingers and kissed each of them, breathing unsteadily.

"Dammit Noct, don't do that to me. My heart can't take it." He pleaded, running his other hand through the Princes hair. "Fuck, I thought you were dead..."

When he felt Prompto starting to kiss his fingers, and that shaky, almost scared breathing, Noct let out a soft sigh, brushing his thumb over his lovers bottom lip, shutting his eyes for just a few moments while he tried to find the words to reply with.

"Can't kill me that easily. I'm not going anywhere Prompto- you know I'm not." He was trying to figure out how to soothe Prompto's worries, and after a moment, he smiled, just a bit, an idea having sprung to mind.

"Hey...when I was laying in there, and I saw you leaning over me, I couldn't help but think that that's a sight I wouldn't have minded taking to the afterlife with me. Should of taken a picture of it."

Nocts words caught him off guard, and Prompto let out a very undignified snorting laugh. It was also a bit choked by tears, and he mimed slapping Noct upside the head.

"You nearly die and want a photo of my ugly ass crying face? Dude, what the hell?" Still, it did the trick, he didn't look ready to sob anymore. Noct smiled a bit, feeling better now that he knew Prompto wasn't about to start bawling.

"Exactly. I need blackmail fodder for the afterlife." Still, he settled down when an attempt at laughter caused a stabbing pain in his ribs; attempting to hide a wince was a difficult task. A thought struck Prom and he let go of Nocts hand for a moment.

"Gotta let Iggy know you're awake."

"Yeah. He'll probably come rushing back to the tent to shove a hundred potions in my face."

Prompto sent a quick text before setting the phone down and running his fingers over Nocts chest, wincing every time he felt the tell tail depression or bump of a cracked or broken rib. One hand went up to Nocts face and lightly rubbed under his nose and around his lips, frowning. He sighed and laid his forehead on Noctis'.

"You should've seen what happened to that damn thing, unloaded a blizzard and an entire clip into its mouth. That and Araneas’ spear killed it."

Prompto's hands trailing over his chest felt good and bad all at once. The pain caused by the slight pressure of the others fingers was bad, but at the same time the warmth and soft skin made it almost worth it.

"Huh. Go figure- I missed the action because apparently that thing decided I was better off as a small bloody pile." It was grim humor, but humor nonetheless, and after a moment, he propped himself up on the arm that wasn't broken, softly kissing Prompto's lips before humming gently.

"You did a good job though."  
Prompto chuckled and gently helped support Noct as they kissed, before easing him back down.

"Yeah, what perfect timing. " He glanced at the others arms and quickly ran his hands over them, finding the broken one. They hadn't had a chance to set and pin any of them.

"Hang on a sec." Prom focused and pulled a rod and bandages out of the armiger, lining them up with Nocts broken arm and wrapping it. It would do no good if the prince lost use of his arm.

Noct bit the inside of his cheek hard while Prompto set his arm, determined not to look weaker than he already was in front of the blonde. Once it finally _was_ set though, he sighed in relief, silently admitting that that felt a lot better.

Once satisfied, Prompto relaxed next Noct, playing with his unbroken hand. He wasn't sure if either of the Princes legs were broken, they hadn't taken off his pants, but it hadn't felt like it when he had carried him.

Noct legs didn't hurt as bad as the rest of him, so he figured they were just really badly bruised.

Speaking of which.

"Dude, you need to eat more. My skinny ass managed to carry you from the entrance to the campground." He paused, "That, or my adrenaline was so high I was super human for a bit."

"Betting on the adrenaline. Ignis would wring my neck if he thought I was skipping meals." That and the fact that the most Noctis would avoid when it came to Ignis' cooking was excessive amounts of vegetables- carrots in particular. As far as he was concerned, the damned things were as toxic as tree frogs. His musings on Prompto's sudden strength were cut short when he heard footsteps outside, followed by another familiar face entering the tent.

"Hey Specs…that another potion?" He was answered with an unusually solemn nod as the bespectacled man helped him break the item.

Prompto watched as Iggy helped Noctis break the potion, his own mood dropping with Iggy's solemn behavior. The bespectacled man glanced at Prompto and sighed, dropping to his knees beside Noctis. Prompto tensed, knowing what he was about to do.

Noct sighed softly when the potion washed over him, though when he felt Prompto tense, he raised an eyebrow. Why was he...? Suddenly, as Ignis continued to speak, Noctis understood.

"Your Majesty, you sustained heavy damage during the fight." The advisors face was blank, voice monotone, but his eyes shined with guilt and pain. "With the help of Prompto, we got you here to heal, but the damage was bad enough that a Phoenix down was not enough to bring you completely out of danger." Then, he paused, glancing once more at Prompto.

"I am unsure if you wish to stay here Prom," Uh-oh, Iggy never called him Prom, "what I am about to say is upsetting." At this, the advisors mask broke, and for a moment, you could see just how upset he was. Prompto took a deep breath and shook his head.

"I'll stay..." He grabbed Noct's uninjured hand and listened as Iggy listed his injuries. Broken arm, broken ribs, punctured lung, first and second degree burns, internal bleeding, blood loss, twisted ankle, bruising on his legs, and a cut to his head.

Unlike his lover, however, Noct remained…rather relaxed about the whole thing. The news on his injuries didn't hurt or scare him. The thought that he had nearly died was barely a blip on his radar.

Once finished, Prom was crying again and holding Nocts hand tight. Iggy took a deep breath,

"I humbly apologize for being unable to protect you, Your Majesty."

What hurt Noct was when Prompto started sobbing and squeezing his hand, and when he had to look at the sheer _guilt_ on the face of his adviser- his friend since he was an incredibly young child. Ignis _had_ been his first friend, playmate, and, aside from his dad, his role model. Seeing him so upset tore Noctis to pieces.

"Iggy..." After a moment, he gave a faint smile, pulling his hand from Prompto's grasp to rest it on Ignis' shoulder and give it a faint squeeze. "You tried, and you and Prompto got me out of there alive. As far as I'm concerned, you did a good job-" Suddenly his smile turned just a bit cheeky.

"Besides, if you think _you_ feel like you have to apologize, imagine what Gladio is gonna do when he finds out what he missed."

Ignis started for a moment at the hand that touched his shoulder, staring down at his prince, no, his _king_ with barely contained surprised. Prompto had no such reservations and started peppering his lover with kisses. Neither of them could really understand what Noct was thinking, but the fact that he was alive was enough. The reminder of Gladio made Ignis crack a smile and Prompto giggle.

"He's never going to leave you alone." Prom chuckled, pouting slightly when he realized that his alone time with his lover would be cut down on. Ignis smirked and patted Nocts hand.

"You do realize he is going to train you into the ground." To which Prompto raised an eyebrow and pointed out,

"The same is going to happen to you." Ignis winced slightly and adjusted his glasses.

"True."

"And as soon as I'm up and about the same is gonna happen to me I bet. " Noct let his hand drop and he yawned a bit- he was gonna be even more tired than usual for a while, while his body tried to heal itself after such a brutal attack.

"Still...something tells me the big guy is gonna feel like shit as soon as he realizes what happened." Gladio may joke around with the group, even make playful threats, but the entire group knew that Gladiolus took his job as the kings shield incredibly serious- at times he could be more serious about his job than even Ignis. Gladio's super seriousness when it came to his job was definitely well known to the others, and Prom barely hid a wince. hoo boy, Gladio was going to be feeling _awful_.

After a moment, he settled himself more comfortably, resting a hand on Prompto's leg before speaking.

"So Specs...any idea on how long it'll be till I'm able to move again?"

Noct's question about when he could move caught the attention of the advisor and he hummed, thinking.

"Like I said earlier, the Phoenix down only brought you back from the brink. You've had two potions, a hi-potion, and an elixir, but there's been minimal outward improvement." He sighed and motioned to the Prince.

"I believe it will be at least another two to three days before we can even _think_ of moving you more than a few feet, let alone let you walk on your own." Again, Prom winced slightly at the blunt assessment.

Noctis sighed when he heard the verdict- as much as he liked sleeping, he hated bedrest for any other reason.

"Then...that's that, I guess." At the very least, he was hoping that the chest wraps would be able to come off with a few more potions worth of time. They made it hard to breathe. "And Aranea? I'll go ahead and assume she helped you guys set up here." He would have to thank her later, although she had a personality that made Noctis sure that he was gonna get turned into an inside joke of hers as soon as he was up and about again. Aside from that, he was actually hungry and in need of some water. Glancing over, he gave Prompto's arm a light tug.

"Prom? Do you have a water bottle on you?" He wasn't sure if Ignis made anything, and water would help settle his stomach if he did.

Prompto started slightly at the tug on his arm, though he covered it with a grin.

"Sure thing man, hang on~" He reached into a pack nearby and pulled out a bottle popping the cap. Carefully he helped his injured lover sit up, sitting behind him so that Noct was leaning on him and holding the bottle to his lips. Ignis hummed and stood back up.

"If you will excuse me, I plan on making some dinner, nothing too elaborate." It seemed he had already guessed that Noct's stomach wasn't the best at the moment. With a slight bow, the Advisor left, leaving the two lovers alone. As Prom brought the bottle down, he lightly stroked his hands over the bindings on Nocts chest, stopping to rub a light circle right on his heart.

He was gulping down water at an alarming rate as soon as the bottle was pressed to his lips- he hadn't realized quite how thirsty he was until it was actually being offered. When he had drained half the bottle he pulled back so he wouldn't end up getting sick off of it.

That was when he noticed Prompto's hands stroking over his chest- he didn't mind quite so much now, though after a moment he grasped Prompto's hand with his working one, giving it a tender squeeze.

"Alright, what's wrong Prompto? Besides the obvious, I mean." He brought the others hand to his lips, kissing his wrist and knuckles gently.

"Huh?" He blinked when he felt his wrist and knuckles being kissed, caught off guard. Prompto rarely expressed what he was thinking to any of the group, though when he did, it was to Noctis. He sighed and rest his head on Nocts shoulder for a moment, letting the other hold his hand before answering,

"Just coming down from the Adrenaline rush I've been on for the past ten hours." He pressed a few soft kisses on Nocts neck.

"It was rough for a while..." Carefully he took his hand from Nocts and went back to rubbing the others chest.

"Mm..." His eyes fluttered shut when he felt the others soft kisses, and when the other took his hand back, Noctis reached up to curl his fingers lightly through Prompto's hair.

"You scared the absolute shit outta me when you passed out. There was so much blood..."

"Well I guess now you know how I felt about you getting so beat up before." He drew the others head down lightly, pressing soft pecks to Prompto's lips before releasing him and laying back down. After a bit of adjusting, he had his head settled in Prompto's lap, eyes closed. He clearly wasn't sleeping, nor was he planning to.

Prompto bowed slightly to meet Nocts lips, grunting softly in reply, then quickly adjusting to let Noct lay down comfortably in his lap.

"Man, for having the blessings of two of the Six, they sure didn't seem eager to help out."

Gently he began to play with Nocts hair, laughing.

"You'd think that the Fulgarian would give you lightning resistance at the very least." Seriously, if Noct had been able to withstand or dodge that lightning attack, he wouldn't be so badly hurt. Noct opened one eye, smiling just a bit at the notion.

"Or the Archaen could have collapsed part of the building on that thing. Either one would've helped. Maybe next time though." At that moment, Ignis glanced in.

"Noctis, are you willing to eat a bit?" He was calling him by his name again at least, but the offer to reject food was definitely part of the guilt. No way would Iggy normally let him skip food.

When Ignis peeked in to ask if he was _willing_ to eat, he almost frowned. Ignis must be feeling pretty bad about the whole thing...Noctis did take into account whether or not he could actually handle food, but after a moment he decided that as long as it was light and he took it slow, he could take it.

"Yeah, I think I'll be able to handle it." There was barely visible relief in Ignis's body language, but he nodded and vanished again, probably to get the food. Luckily for Noct, it was a simple broth with a little bit of meat and noodles.

Noct tapped on Prompto's knee to get his attention. "Mind helping me sit up? I would try it myself, but I don't wanna lose the water I drank."

Prompto glanced down at the tap and nodded, carefully lifting his lover upright with slow movements. The Princes body probably wasn't going to be able to support him, so Prompto had Noct lean against his chest.

"How's your breathing? any difficulty?" He asked, rubbing a light circle over Nocts chest. He shifted more comfortably against Prompto's chest before answering his question.

"Same as it's been since I woke up- lightly restricted. The bandaging helps though- breathing without it would hurt like hell."

Ignis walked in as Prompto asked this, carrying two bowls. One was set by Prompto and the other was handed to said gunner,

"I trust you can handle helping him?" Prom nodded, knowing that Ignis was probably going to go train now that he was sure the Prince wouldn't die.

"Yeah, I got him Iggy, go eat before you train."

When he saw what Ignis had brought, he gave a sigh of relief and the faintest of smiles- Ignis always seemed to know exactly what he would need; in this case it was something light and not very solid.

"Perfect- this I can handle. Thanks Specs. Get that training in after you eat so Gladio doesn't kill you with his own special brand of workout." Noctis was all too familiar with workouts and training with Gladio- the older man _had_ more or less been his sparring partner since he first began to learn how to fight after all. When Ignis left the tent, presumably to do just that, Noctis glanced over at the bowl of soup, picking it up with ease before balancing it on his lap- he could still feed himself with one arm after all.

The advisor nodded and bid them good night, stepping out to eat and train. Prompto watched to make sure Noct could handle his own food well enough before picking up his own bowl and inhaling happily.

"Man, Ignis is a wizard with food, even with something simple." He began eating, occasionally kissing Nocts head or neck while he did so. Tomorrow they'd help him get a bath, as he was still kind of dirty, though they had cleaned him the best they could.

"So, what do you think Gladio's personal stuff was? Hanging out with his sister? Or maybe more training?"

Noctis was more than happy to eat and enjoy the light affection Prompto was giving, though he had pondered the question he was asked for a while now.

"Hmm...well, the big guy wouldn't leave us just to hang out with Iris, especially since we hung out with her on the way to Cape Caem...training sounds reasonable though, maybe meeting up with someone?" He would ask Gladio when the big guy got back, though he had a small feeling that information would take a fair bit of prodding.

"Meeting up with someone sounds right..." Prompto mused, grinning, "Probably a new training partner and he gets his ass beat." He set his finished bowl aside and reached for his bag, pulling out his camera and snapping a quick picture. It wouldn't be the best, but it was proof Noct was alive.

"All done?" he asked, kissing the Princes cheek and nuzzling his neck for a moment before grinning.

"Oh! I got some good pictures before things went to shit." He leaned forward a bit, wrapping his arms around Noct so that he could show the Prince various pictures. A lot of them were of the dungeons architecture, but there were a few action shots as well. There was even one of the last creature they fought, though it was as the thing first landed.

He finished eating and set the bowl aside as well, raising an eyebrow when Prompto mentioned having taken some good pictures. He hummed thoughtfully, looking at the pictures with calm interest. This was usually how they ended each day- even if normally it was as a group. When he saw a particularly good shot of him and Ignis attacking the Iron Giant they had seen, he actually grinned.

"Nice." At the sight of the creature that had stomped on him, he wrinkled his nose. "It's a good picture but...a thing like that drops out of the sky and your first instinct is to take its picture?" He would never understand that instinct in his lover- the one that allowed for artistic shots during even the most stressful situations.

Prompto shrugged, grinning.

"What can I say? I was in awe of its size. Plus, it's pretty damn photogenic, for a humongous asshole dragon." He flipped the camera one more time and froze in shock. There was a video on his camera, one that he hadn't taken.

"Um..." His concern grew when he saw the save shot was a blurry look of the room they had been fighting in. Prom knew he had lost his camera, as Ignis had gathered it up, but he hadn't been aware he'd hit record.

Noctis paused when he saw the video, also admittedly curious about what was recorded. He hadn't even known the camera HAD a recording feature. Then again, he wasn't surprised. From what he recalled, the model had been near the top of the market at the time and incredibly expensive- a video taking function didn't seem out of the ordinary.

Glancing at Noct, he let his curiosity take over and pressed play.

The first thing was a loud 'thunk!' of the camera hitting the ground, explaining why the save shot was blurry. The camera had landed on some rubble, aimed slightly towards the ceiling. That didn't hide the image of Noctis and Ignis screaming and twitching, nor Prompto screaming their names. It was clear he had dropped the camera when Aranea grabbed him. Prompto stopped the video at once and looked at the run time.

Fifteen minutes. The camera had caught the last part of the fight. Prompto restarted the video for some damn reason, but didn't watch it, instead hiding in Noct's shoulder.

When Prompto hit play and he saw exactly what was recorded, he winced. He looked like a _corpse_ laying there all bloody and twitchy- a real massacre victim. And while eventually he did get to see Prompto in action and unleashing hell on the monsters mouth, as well as Aranea stabbing it with one final blow...it was gruesome.

"So... that's what happened." Now he understood why Prompto had been so damned _horrified_ anyway.

Every sound on the video made him wince and shudder. For a moment, he forgot that they were in the tent, and was back in that place. It was awful. Once the video ended, Prompto _dropped_ his camera. It thunked into Nocts lap and rolled off to the side, forgotten as the gunners hands came up and clutched at Noct's chest liked he'd vanish.

He felt every shiver and flinch that Prompto gave, and after a moment he lifted his good hand, painfully turning himself around so he could face Prompto and wrap said arm around the blonde's torso, rubbing his back slowly.

"I...I couldn't find a pulse... it was barely there even after the Phoenix down..." Prompto hadn't lifted his head, tears dripping onto the Princes shoulder.

"There was so much blood... I thought you died, twice..." The video had shown Prompto picking him up and panicking when Noct passed out, only ending when Ignis picked it up as they left.

When Nocts shoulder grew damp and he realized that Prompto was _crying,_ he froze, lightly grasping the back of his lovers shirt before nuzzling gently against his neck. He couldn't fix what had happened, but, if nothing else, he could try and make Prompto feel better _now_.

Prompto took a deep breath and lightly slapped Noct on the chest, "don't you ever fucking do that again, you hear?"

The slap on his chest got a wince out of him, light though it was. "Hey, ease up- no hitting the cripple." Still, hearing Prompto's words, he eventually gave a soft hum and brushed away the other mans tears with his thumb.

Prompto shifted a bit so that Noct's position would be more comfortable, choking out a laugh at the protest.

"I'm gonna hit the cripple if it makes the cripple stop getting hurt.”

"I can't promise not to get hurt, but I can at least _try_ not to. Guess we can call it even on the 'worrying our significant other to death' scale." Prompto kissed Nocts cheek, tears still sliding down, but he nodded all the same. It was similar to Noct trying to get a promise out of him to not get hurt. Noct leaned in slowly, kissing away a tear on Prompto's cheek that he had missed.

Holding Noct close calmed him, and Prompto hummed contently when Noct kissed his face, smiling a bit.

"I suppose we are. You being almost dead even's out my two half deads." Grim yes, but fitting. Carefully shifting some more, Prompto moved so both of them could lay down, though not without checking Noct's injuries once more. It had been long enough, so he helped Noct break a hi-potion, waiting till the magic was completely absorbed before he started covering the Prince's face in soft kisses.

"You should sleep, the sooner you're stable, the sooner we can get to Lestallum."

When Prompto settled him down, Noctis let out a slow sigh, lips twitching in grim amusement at Prompto's little joke. He waited for the potion to absorb into his body, smiling a bit at the sudden assault of kisses that his lover had to offer.

"And the sooner Gladio can kick all of our asses into next week?" Prompto laughed a bit, nodding in agreement. Gods Gladio was gonna beat all of them into the ground, especially Ignis and Prompto.

Noct shifted closer to Prompto, turning his head so he could exchange slow, almost lazy soft kisses with him. They weren't lustful, nor were they passionate- they weren't even just 'I love you' pecks. He was kissing Prompto for reassurance- to make sure Prompto knew that he was there, that would be there till the end when Noctis would take back the throne and his home- that he would be there even after that came to be.

Before his thoughts got too dark though, Nocts kisses pulled him out of them. He gladly accepted the kisses, body slowly relaxing. One hand came to rest on Noctis' bound chest as they kissed, the steady beat of his lovers heart as soothing as the promises behind each kiss.

Slowly he began to drift off, whispering a soft, "Love you" as he did, hand lightly clutching at the bandages on Noct's chest.

Ignis came into the tent after both of them fell asleep, pausing for a moment to observe them. He still felt guilty, but the training and long analyzing session had let him calm down. Now he went to bed, affectionately ruffling both boys hair before sleeping. In the morning he would check the on the Prince.


	7. In which there is bathing and fluff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long break, College is kicking my ass~

When morning rolled around, Noctis was surprised to find that, for once, he was the first one awake. Not that that did much for him- he still adamantly refused to even act like he was awake. It's not like he could move around without any help anyway, so he could take a few more minutes. Or rather, he would take a few minutes, if he wasn't greeted with the nicest sight he had seen in quite some time.

 

Prompto's arm was sprawled across his own chest, and he had an expression on his face that Noctis rarely got to see. He didn't know that people could look so peaceful while they slept. It was a rather...sweet look to see on his lover actually. Leaning in just a bit, he pressed a soft kiss to Prompto's lips before resting his head again, glancing back at Ignis with a faint smirk.

 

He couldn't help but wonder how much of an existential crisis his adviser would have when he realized that Noctis had been awake _first_. It felt like a gods damned victory in his book!

 

Ignis woke before his alarm, not at all a rare thing, and quietly got up. He needed to make breakfast and check on the Prince, not in that order. However, before he could do anything, he glanced towards Noctis and blinked. Said Prince was staring at him with a small smirk.

 

To his credit, Ignis showed no outward reaction to Noct being awake before him.

 

"Good morning Noct, anything in particular you'd like for breakfast?" It was _rather_ disconcerting for the Prince of sleep to be up right now.

 

Noct managed to hide his slight disappointment over the lack of reaction, though after being asked about breakfast, he actually gave it some thought. All things considered, he was pretty hungry and his stomach wasn't feeling off anymore- sleep had done him good.

 

"Hmm...if we have eggs and meat, I could destroy an omelets and some toast right now." He did give a silent, though probably futile, prayer that Ignis would mostly forego the vegetables, though he had a feeling that the six wouldn't be so merciful about that. Still, even the thought of vegetables in his food couldn't really deter him from eating.

 

Ignis hummed and agreed, heading out of the tent, though he paused for a moment before he did. "If I had realized that bodily harm would awaken you earlier, I would have threatened that sooner." that was about as close to a surprised admission that he was going to get.

 

"Gladio would've stopped you. Pretty sure he thinks he's the only one allowed to cause me physical pain." In the form of training sessions, of course. Still, Noct would take his victory, smug smile on his face when he saw Ignis head out, presumably to go cook.

 

Prompto's sleep was pretty good, which was surprising considering that he'd had a rather _bad_ day yesterday. So, when awareness first started creeping up on him, he fought it, comfortable where he was. A soft pressure by his lips made him hum and snuggle deeper into his bag, and he did his best to ignore the conversation next to him.

 

When Noct felt shifting against his side, he turned his head and smiled faintly at the apparently very comfortable chocobo haired man sleeping next to him. He reached out his good arm, lightly tapping along the other male's head and spine through the sleeping bag.

 

"Prompto, Prompto wake up. I'm eating your share of breakfast if you don't. If I can be up so can you."

 

Light tapping on his head and spine made Prompto bat at whatever was touching him, grumbling a bit. He wanted to keep sleeping dammit!

 

The smile turned into a grin when Prompto whined, grumbled, and batted at him like Noctis was prone to doing. While usually he would have allowed the other his sleep, Noctis figured that it was high time the tables were reversed in their little waking up game.

 

The threat of food being eaten awoke Prompto enough to sit up, yawning. That's also when he computed that Noct was up before him.

 

"Dude, how are you gonna eat my share if you can't move? And why are you up so early?" The last part was almost whined, though Prompto was grinning as leaned down and kissed Noct.

 

"I'll eat it because I know Specs will give it to me if you aren't awake, just to avoid wasting food. I don't know why I'm up early though- your guess is as good as mine on that one." Noct returned the kiss almost greedily, reaching his good arm up to loop around Prompto's neck and tug him down closer.

 

Prompto lightly ran a hand over the Princes bound chest to check for pain/healing progress. They might be able to change or remove them completely today.  


When Noct felt a gentle hand on his chest, he hummed softly. It still hurt, no doubt about it, but he was starting to think that after all the potions, his ribs were just cracked and bruised rather than broken.

 

Satisfied with what he felt, Prompto gladly gave into the arm pulling him down, bracing on either side of Nocts head. He deepened the kiss a bit, cautious of jarring Noct. Ignis was outside cooking, and Noct was hurt, but that didn't mean he couldn't lavish attention on his lover.

 

He broke away from the kiss after a bit and began kissing along the Princes jaw and neck, nuzzling and nipping. It felt almost relaxing to do this, as the pulse under his lips reminded him that Noctis was alive under him.

 

Noctis hummed and tilted his head back when Prompto decided that it was a good time to start getting playful, though he did take his own liberties with the one hand he could move. He reached up, tracing with a feather-light touch along the blonde's hairline, drifting down to curl around his ear before finally drifting down to trace the shape of his jawline. Noctis found Prompto rather handsome- in a boyish way. It was charming, and it was all his to silently, or audibly if he wanted, fawn over.

 

The light touch against his skin had the gunner shuddering slightly, smiling against pale skin. He nuzzled and kissed at the Princes neck and back up to his face, pressing several soft, slow kisses to his forehead, nose and lips.

 

Noctis returned each kiss with soft touches and pecks of his own, pressing them over Prompto's temple and the crown of his head since the others face was currently buried in his neck, though each touch of lips against his own was happily returned.

 

Ignis, who had finished cooking, watched silently from the entrance of the tent, then gently cleared his throat. He watched in amusement as Prompto tensed slightly, clearly fighting the urge to jump as that risked hurting Noct.

 

Though Noct showed no outward reaction when he heard Ignis clear his throat, his heart thumped so hard against his chest that it actually _hurt_ his already damaged ribs.

 

"As glad as I am to see you two loving each other, it is time to eat. Prompto," The gunner slowly looked up, sitting on his haunches, "If you wouldn't mind carrying Noct out, then we can eat." The advisor quickly took in the prince and hummed.

 

"Then perhaps a bath is due for both of you while I wash the bags." Prompto nodded and adjusted himself so he could lift Noct, carefully gathering him up in his arms.

 

Noct did actually nod when told that a bath would be a good idea- his hair was still pretty caked in blood and he wanted it washed out as soon as possible, though after a moment of adjusting himself in Prompto's arms once they were ready to head out, he spoke.

 

"The bath idea is great and all, but we're in a swamp. Swamp water is probably the last thing I should be touching."

 

Certain that he wouldn't cause Noct any undo pain, Prompto left the tent, approaching the fire in time for Ignis to hear Noct's comment about swamp water. Prom chuckled at the whine, though he did agree. The last thing they needed was Noct getting an infection.

 

Ignis hummed and handed Noct a plate after Prompto had placed him in a chair. There was an omelet and toast, though no apparent vegetables anywhere. He was also handed what looked like a fruit smoothie.

 

When Noct was handed a plate of food, he gave it a quick once over before taking a bite. Ignis never disappointed- Noctis was willing to bet that his adviser could boil a dishrag and somehow make it taste like a five-star meal. The smoothie was what he was a bit confused about though- Eggs could probably be found throughout the area, but fruit? He knew Ignis handled most of the grocery shopping on this trip, but he couldn't recall _seeing_ him buy or store fruit. Still, he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

"There is a contained section of water separate from the swamp not far from here. A fire spell should be all that's needed to kill any unwanted bacteria and warm a small section of water." Prompto sat next to Noct and nodded.

 

"I can do that. Plus, good exercise for me to carry him there." It wasn't that far, but the terrain wasn't the best. Ignis nodded and handed him a plate as well, Prompto digging in as the advisor sat down with his own food.

 

Noct took a gulp of the concoction- it was actually pretty damn good, and now his curiosity got the better of him. After listening to the advice about the water and how they could deal with it, as well as giving Prompto a smirk when the other mentioned carrying him, he decided now was as good a time as any to ask.

 

"Sounds good to me. By the way, Ignis?" He held up the glass. "This smoothie is great, but where did you get the fruit for it?" He set the glass down after taking another gulp, then took a few bites of toast and his omelet while he awaited a response.

 

When Noct pointed out the smoothie, the advisor gave a small smile and adjusted his glasses. Prompto was curious too, as there was no way fruit could've stayed good this long.

 

"I am fortunate enough to know local fruits that are good in both flavor and nutrition. Therefore, I merely gathered some last night for the smoothie." He summoned some ingredient for a moment before dismissing it. What he neglected to mention were the vegetables that were blended into the pale orange smoothie.

 

"I will admit; the armiger storage pocket is quite an effective way to store perishables." Prompto blinked, then glanced down at his food. That was really weird, were they eating residual magic every time Ignis cooked?

 

"Huh...go you for figuring out something else for that over-glorified weapon locker." He wasn't wrong- that was, up until Ignis' discovery anyway, the entire purpose behind the armiger- a weapon storage for the royal arms.

 

The advisor's smile was now a small smirk, as he had found an effective way to get the picky prince to eat vegetables.

 

The smirk on Ignis' face had his eyes narrowing, though he chose not to question it too much- when it came to Ignis Noctis tended to avoid asking too many questions since, odds were, he wouldn't like the answer. Besides, he could always trust Ignis to do the right thing for the group.

 

"If it is to your liking, I can gather some more fruit for the road, so I can make it later?"

 

At the mention of making it again later on, Noctis nodded and finished up his glass. "Yeah, that'd work." Finishing the last of his food, he set the dishes down and turned to Prompto.

 

"Ready to check out that potential bath?"

Prompto quickly shoved the last of his food into his mouth, and nodded. "Mhm!" He set his plate aside and stood, stretching for a moment and grinning at Noct.

 

"Alright, let's go make you human again!" Though he was teasing, it was kinda true. There was dried blood in Nocts hair and body, along with the blood that was now on the bandages. Ignis reminded Prompto to rewrap Nocts wounds after the bath, to which he agreed, before carefully picking Noct up and cradling him. The haven was on flat ground luckily, but the path over to the pool wasn't the most even. Making sure his grip was firm, Prompto started over,

 

"This may hurt a bit..." He tried to minimize the jarring, but that was hard when he was literally climbing over rocks without hands. Luckily for them, the pool wasn't that far.

 

"Right." He stayed still so Prompto could get a good grip on him, though Noct quickly started to regret agreeing so readily when they actually started _moving_ to the damn pool.

 

Sharp gasps and hissing intakes of breath escaped him every couple of steps as his lover tried to climb without dropping him, though he avoided making a vocal complaint considering the fact that Prompto might _actually_ drop him. Or get upset and turn into a mother hen.

 

Every gasp and hiss made Prompto want to double check Noct or say forget the bath just so he wasn't causing the other any pain. He ignored it though as it would defeat the purpose of them going out to the pool. Plus, he was pretty sure Noct would be royally annoyed if he did such thing

 

Still, when they finally got to the pool, his relief was clear on his face and in his slowly calming breathing.

 

"Huh...not quite as muddy as I thought it'd be. Going without the bugs would be nice though." If there was one thing he and his lover could always agree on, it was the fact that bugs were icky.

 

Seeing the relief on Nocts face when they got to the pool made him concerned about the return trip, but he didn't voice it. "Yeah, Iggy was right, though definitely could do without the bugs."

 

Pulling a magic flask of fire magic, he had made it a while back from his stores, Noct summoned his concentration and launched the fireball towards the pool. They watched as the water immediately burst into boiling temperatures as steam rose from it.

 

"Now we just wait a few minutes for it to cool and we're good as cleaned."

 

He watched with a bit of surprise at how quickly the water boiled and steamed, glancing at Noct where he rested.

 

"Damn, how much fire did you put in that?" he asked, kneeling down.

 

Noct thought about it when asked how much fire went into that flask- Each flask would hold through rounds of whatever spell he stuffed in, and this batch...he was pretty sure he had shoved more elemental energy in there than usual, along with a lot of voretooth spines, so the potency had been pretty high. He always tried to use what he could of his stores when they found more energy deposits.

 

"A lot more than I probably should have. That's why I said we need to give it a few minutes to cool down, because I'm pretty sure when Ignis said I needed to learn how to cook, he didn't mean like this."

 

Prompto chuckled at Noct's joke, knowing that Ignis should've given up a _long_ time ago in teaching Noct how to cook. He was useless at it. He carefully unwrapped the bandages around Nocts head and chest, leaving the splint.

 

The princes head didn't seem to be bleeding anymore. Around his chest was a bruised mess, with a couple shallow marks where what used to be claw entry wounds. The bruising continued down to Nocts legs. Humming, Prompto gently supported Noct and eased off his pants, leaving him in his boxers. He winced a bit, but held in any other reaction to the wounds. Satisfied, Prom stripped and glanced at the water.

 

He allowed Prompto to undress him, wincing when he saw how bad he actually looked. His arm was still a mess in its splint, but he didn't think it would be safe to remove just yet. Now that his chest was unbound though, every breath in sent a sharp stab of pain through him, which in turn made his heart rate increase, which caused even more throbbing pain that sent him through a viscous cycle- the hot water would be a blessing.

 

"ready?"

 

"Yeah, let's go." He waited for Prompto to carry him over to the steaming pool, trying to hold his breath the entire time so he wouldn't show any outward reactions.

 

The pained sound that escaped his lover when Prompto first unwrapped his chest had the gunner frowning and quickly, yet gently picking him up. There were no other sounds, yet Prompto knew he was probably hiding them. Hence why he was entering the hot water a little before it was cool enough.

 

Wincing a bit at the almost too hot water, Prompto carried Noct in, walking out enough that Prom could sit with the other in his lap and both still be almost up to their chest.

 

Noct narrowed his eyes when he saw the wince, ready to say something but realizing that that would actually require breathing. He also winced at the heat of the water, though it was quickly drowned out by an absolutely blissful sigh as the heat of the water coursed through him and soothed the pain in his, well, everything.

 

"Better?" Prompto asked, shift for a moment so Nocts head would rest on the gunners shoulder. This allowed Prompto access to actually wash the Prince, while keeping his splinted arm relatively dry. There was still a chance he'd have to re-splint it though.

 

His broken arm stayed above the water though- he made sure of it.

 

"Yeah…much better." His eyes fell shut when he felt Prompto's hands slowly rubbing away all the dirt and blood, head resting on Prompto's shoulder while his good hand curled up on Prompto's knee, lips twitching into the faintest of smiles. Had he been the cat that he was occasionally compared to in terms of napping ability and temperament, Noctis would probably be purring up a storm at the moment.

  
"Good~" Prom hummed softly, carefully tilting Noct back to wet his hair and scrub the dried blood free. His lover was way too adorable like this, despite being injured. If he imagined enough, he could almost hear purring, which had him in giggles at the thought. It took a while for the blood to wash out of the dark locks, but finally it was clean.

 

Noct was practically putty in Prompto's hands, but he couldn't find it in himself to care at the moment. The warmth of the water and the relief from his injuries was practically intoxicating, but none of that compared to the feeling of Prompto's hands running so gently over him. It was especially nice when Prompto scrubbed at his hair in his efforts to remove all the dried, sticky blood.

 

It was a known fact among the group that Noctis suffered from headaches, but what most of them didn't know, save for Ignis, was that because of the headaches Noctis had grown awfully fond of his hair being tugged at and his head being rubbed and massaged. Ignis had done it to relieve Noctis' headaches when they were younger, and he had never really grown out of the fondness.

 

Prompto just held him for a moment before continuing, taking a little while longer to finish. Once completely clean, he just rested there for a bit, kissing the others face gently and playing with his hair. It was relaxing honestly. Still, he had to rewrap his wounds.

 

"Hey, I'm going to move us out, okay?" Prompto tightened his grip and slowly stood, walking towards the shore. There he sat down again with Noct in his lap and summoned two towels, drying them off. He then pulled out some more bandages and cream, starting to rewrap Nocts wrists and chest.

 

When it was time to get up, he gave a lazy nod and allowed himself to be easily moved by his lover. He was still too drunk off heat to feel much pain as he was dried and his wrists were rewrapped- a nap wouldn't be out of the question for him. A chuckle escaped Prompto at the lazy, slightly drunk look Noct had on his face. He was too adorable.

 

When his chest was wrapped, Noct leaned in, pressing a soft peck to the others lips in thanks.

 

Satisfied the chest bindings were tight enough and clean, he happily accepted the soft kiss, gently tugging and playing with Nocts wet hair. It was comfortable, though Prompto unfortunately had to break the position for a moment to get dressed. Once he was though, he wrapped a dry towel around Noct to cover him and lifted him up, tucking the Prince against him.

 

"Love you." He murmured, pressing a few gentle kisses into Noct's newly cleaned face.

 

Noctis returned each soft kiss with one of his own, murmuring back his response to Prompto's words. "Love you too, Prom."

 

"Relax~" Prompto evened out his gait as he walked back towards camp, trying to reduce the amount of stress and pain put on Noct.

  
Noct let his eyes slip shut upon hearing Prompto's sweet voice telling him to rest easy and relax; those were words he had wanted to abide by for a while now, and if this was his chance to do so, he would take it without hesitation.

 

When they got back to camp though, Noctis did his best to appear alert- no reason to give Ignis an excuse to look far too pleased with himself. Still, he did have to half stifle a yawn before speaking.

 

Ignis's eyes shined with amusement when he saw the relaxed form of Noct in Prompto's arms. The yawn wasn't nearly as stifled as the Prince thought, though neither man commented on it.

 

"We should head out for Lestallum soon before Gladio assumes we're dead because he's panicking too much to remember cell phones."

 

Prompto blinked at the reminder that they had phones.

 

"That's true... Iggy?" Ignis nodded and waved them to the tent.

 

"Go rest, Noct will need all the strength he can get before he travels." When Ignis told them that it was best to go get some rest, Noctis was rather happy to agree with him. Prompto nodded as well and slipped into the tent, carefully laying the Prince down.

 

Outside, Ignis dialed Gladio's number and waited, hoping the man would answer. His phone call went unanswered however, meaning Gladio was probably either on his way to Lestallum or was finishing up what he had originally left to do.

 

Ignis sighed and left a voice mail, reassuring the man that they were fine and updating him about what was going on. Hopefully he'd call back, but that was unlikely. Hanging up, he decided he would go gather more fruit for the smoothie that Noct had liked.

 

Inside the tent, Prompto grabbed some clothes and carefully dressed Noct before laying down beside him. He adjusted himself into a more comfortable position once Prompto had helped him to get dressed, and the second the other was laying besides him, Noctis slid closer. Prompto adjusted so he was on his side, making it easier to kiss all over the princes face and neck.

 

The kisses did get an actual, full smile out of him, and he used his good arm to his advantage, looping it around Prompto to pull him closer so he could return each kiss to his skin. Prompto hummed happily as Noct pulled him closer, enjoying the attention. Careful of the others chest, he moved so he could get to the Princes neck, nipping and kissing at the skin. He giggled at the thought of Ignis's exasperated face at Prom giving Noctis _more_ bruises, and happily latched onto his neck, suckling a bit. When Noct felt sucking at his neck, he nuzzled Prompto's hair and kissed at his temples and forehead.

 

"Someone's feeling possessive. At this point when we see Gladio again he won't know who gave me more bruises. You or that creature." Still, a pleased sigh escaped him, and he reached his good arm down to slip under Prompto's shirt and trace against warm, soft skin.

 

Prompto huffed against the others skin, nipping at the skin below his ear. He had nearly lost his lover, sue him. He said as much as he continued kissing and suckling, a small chuckle leaving him at the mention of Gladio.

 

"I'm surprised he didn't ask about all those extra bruises I left on you when the two of you train."

 

"He probably doesn't _want_ to know, let's be honest here." Noct returned the nip with one to Prompto's throat, ducking his head down to work on leaving a mark of his own on Prompto's neck. If he had to look like he just got attacked by someone far too affectionate for their own good, the he'd make sure Prompto did too.

 

Nocts hand continued to trace, moving along contours and muscle before reaching the scar on Prompto's back. He paused, though he soon started slowly rubbing and tracing the shape of the old injury, pushing Prompto's shirt up as he did. He wasn't feeling up to doing a lot other than playful touching, but that was good enough for him.

 

The touch to his scar made Prompto hum, relaxing against the floor and moving to kiss Nocts face and lips more, satisfied with the mark he'd left. The scar hadn't ever lost its slight raise on his back, and the skin was sensitive around it.

 

"Hopefully rest and a potion means we can move you tomorrow." Noct connected his lips with his lovers, still slowly stroking at his back before settling down.

"Hopefully. I'm ready to get the hell out of the Vesperpool and back to civilization."

 

"Oh man, imagine staying in the Leville on an actual bed for once!" Prompto mused, laying down next to Noct. He could feel the mark on his neck and knew it was gonna last a while. He sighed contently,

 

"And no more bugs, too icky." After a bit, both Noct Prompto drifted off, the blondes hand resting on Noct's chest once more.


End file.
